KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Bobby Wood directed Justin Meram's crossing pass low into the right corner in the 90th minute to give Real Salt Lake a 2-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City on Sunday in Major League Soccer's Western Conference semifinals.
Coming off a first-round victory on penalty kicks at Seattle, Real Salt Lake advanced to face the Portland Timbers in the conference final. Portland also won the road, topping Colorado 1-0 on a 90-minute score Thursday.
Sporting K.C. opened the scoring on Johnny Russell's penalty kick in the 24th minute. Russell converted after Aaron Herrera fouled Gadi Kinda in the penalty area.
Three of the four players involved in Real Salt Lake's two goals were second-half substitutes. Meram and Anderson Julio came on in the 57th minute, and Wood took over for Rubio Rubin in the 72nd minute.
Julio tied it in the 72nd, leaping to head a pass from Andrew Brody into the lower left corner.
Real Salt Lake lost all three regular-season meetings with Portland, allowing 12 goals.
