Facing a climb to reach the Major League Soccer playoffs, Real Salt Lake took a step in the right direction on Saturday.

RSL scored two goals in the game’s first 14 minutes and beat host Sporting Kansas City 3-1.

The victory put RSL (10-14-6) alone in 10th place in the Western Conference, three points behind the Colorado Rapids, though the Rapids were playing Saturday night at Portland against the 10th-place Timbers.

Nine teams in each conference will reach the playoffs, with the eighth- and ninth-place teams meeting in a play-in game for a spot in the main bracket.

Morgan Guilavogui scored two goals for RSL, getting the first in the 11th minute with assists from Noel Caliskan and JuanMa Sanabria.

RSL’s Sergi Solans doubled the lead in the 14th minute.

Kansas City bounced back in the 26th minute with a goal from Taylor Calheira on an assist from Andre Luiz.

The score remained 2-1 until Guilavogui scored his second goal in the 61st minute with assists from Caliskan and Stijan Spierings.

RSL has four regular-season games remaining, beginning Saturday, Oct. 24, at home against St. Louis SC (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).