Vancouver Whitecaps defender Jordan Harvey (2) congratulates midfielder Pedro Morales (77) for scoring against Real Salt Lake.Anne-Marie Sorvin
Pedro Morales scored his second goal of the game in 78th minute Saturday as the Vancouver Whitecaps defeated Real Salt Lake 2-1.
The influential midfielder deflected home a shot from Whitecaps defender Steven Beitashour to spark a wild celebration as Vancouver leapfrogged the Portland Timbers and into the final playoff spot in Major League Soccer's Western Conference.
Morales had earlier tied the score 1-1 in the 62nd minute on a penalty and now has 10 goals on the season, including seven from the spot. The Chilean — who had another penalty saved in first-half injury time — fired into the bottom left corner past Real goalkeeper Jeff Attinella after Whitecaps striker Erik Hurtado was brought down in the area.
Morales first goal came five minutes after Real defender Nat Borchers scored off a glancing header from a corner kick to silence the crowd at B.C. Place Stadium.
The Whitecaps (9-8-13) came into the match two points back of Timbers for the final post-season spot in the West after their Pacific Northwest rivals suffered a 3-2 defeat at Toronto FC earlier in the day.
Vancouver now leads Portland by a single point with four games remaining for each club — two home and two away.
Real Salt Lake (13-7-10) needed just a point to clinch a seventh straight playoff berth, but will have to wait at least one more week.
Moments before giving his team the 2-1 advantage, Morales sizzled a shot at Attinella that he could only push over the bar in the 74th, before Real's Sebastian Jaime moved in on Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted but couldn't get a shot on target after being pressured by a hard-charging Beitashour.
Vancouver striker Kekuta Manneh then had a chance to ice it, but he decided against passing to two open teammates and instead tried going it alone against Attinella, who made a good save.
Real pressed forward for a late equalizer, but never really threatened Ousted's goal.
Vancouver should have led late in the first half, but Morales' poor effort was handled easily by Attinella.
The Whitecaps have tumbled down the standings since a good start to the season, winning just three of their last 17 matches coming into Saturday.
Vancouver, which had scored just two goals from open play in its last nine games, came out in its familiar 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield and had more of the ball in the first half but was unable to the find the range.
Apart from the penalty that was saved, Morales had the only other real chance of the first half, sending a shot from in tight up and over the Real goal four minutes in.
The Whitecaps have been criticized for being too cute in trying to score goals, and both Hurtado and midfielder Russell Teibert tried efforts from distance early that didn't trouble Attinella.
Real was content to soak up the pressure and started to get some possession of their own as the half wore on, with midfielder Kyle Beckerman testing Vancouver goalkeeper on a free kick in the 30th minute.
The Whitecaps lack of finish was on display again in the 41st minute when Morales, Teibert and Hurtado all refused to shoot during a sequence that had the fans at B.C. Place Stadium getting restless.
Notes: Attendance was 19,395. ... Vancouver hosts FC Dallas next Saturday, while Real Salt Lake's next MLS game following a mid-week friendly goes Oct. 5 at Chivas USA. ... Portland visits the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.