MLS West leader Real Salt Lake prevails against Toronto

SALT LAKE CITY — Robbie Findley scored on a sliding strike in the 87th minute and Real Salt Lake escaped with a 2-1 victory over Toronto FC after a wild finish Monday night.

Real Salt Lake (7-6-6) is unbeaten in 11 home matches this season and sits in first place in the Major League Soccer Western Conference heading into a team-record, 18-day layoff.

Defender Jamison Olave scored the first goal of his MLS career for Real Salt Lake in the 63rd minute, bouncing a header past goalkeeper Greg Sutton at the near post. But Toronto midfielder Amado Guevara tied the score on a free kick from about 28 yards in the 84th minute, putting Toronto (6-7-4) in position to snap a four-game road losing streak.

It didn't happen.

Findley raced to catch up with the rebound of teammate Kyle Beckerman's shot in the middle of the area, poking the winner past Sutton to stretch Toronto's overall winless streak to five games.

Toronto again played without forward Chad Barrett, as the team is working to acquire him in a trade with the Chicago Fire for the rights to striker Brian McBride.

Toronto was also without midfielder Maurice Edu and defender Marvell Wynne, who have joined the U.S. Olympic team for the upcoming Beijing Games.

Defender Robbie Russell played the final 17 minutes in his first action since joining Real Salt Lake in a transfer from Denmark last week.

Real Salt Lake has 27 points, four more than the Los Angeles Galaxy, the second-place team in the West.

Note

• The San Jose Earthquakes acquired Arturo Alvarez from FC Dallas in the low-scoring MLS team's attempt to pump up its offense.

San Jose, which traded forward Kei Kamara to the Houston Dynamo last week for cash and a first-round selection in next year's draft, traded the same money and draft choice to FC Dallas for Alvarez, 23.

Alvarez, who plays midfielder and forward, has three goals and three assists in 16 games.