Alvaro Saborio scored a second-half hat-trick on Saturday night as Real Salt Lake snapped their four-game winless streak with a 3-0 Major League Soccer success against the Portland Timbers at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Two headers in three minutes around the hour mark from the Costa Rica forward put the hosts in control before Diego Chara's red card added to the visitors' problems.
Chara's handball on the goal-line kept out another Saborio header, but the forward did not have to wait much longer to complete his treble as he coolly converted the resulting penalty.
Elsewhere, Sporting Kansas City had to settle for a share of top spot in the Eastern Conference alongside DC United after being held to a 0-0 draw by the Houston Dynamo at Livestrong Sporting Park.
Second-half goals from Alvaro Fernandez and Eddie Johnson earned the Seattle Sounders a 2-1 victory over Colorado. Omar Cummings halved the deficit for the Rapids 11 minutes from time but they could not find an equaliser.
FC Dallas' winless streak stretched to 13 games as they drew 0-0 against Western Conference-leading San Jose, the home team unable to capitalise on their extra man following the 80th-minute dismissal of Earthquakes midfielder Ramiro Corrales.
There were no goals, either, at the Home Depot Center, in the match between Chivas USA and the Vancouver Whitecaps.
