Seattle Sounders have moved two points clear of Real Salt Lake at the top of the MLS Western Conference by beating Houston Dynamo 2-0 this morning.

Two goals from Marco Pappa and Gonzalo Pineda in a six-minute second-half period saw Sigi Schmid's troops claim all three points.

Former Newcastle United hitman Obafemi Martins was sent off on 86 minutes for two bookings, but the dismissal came too late to alter the complexion of the clash.

Houston should have gone ahead in the contest but Brad Davis saw a tamely-struck penalty easily saved by goalkeeper Stefan Frei on 25 minutes.

CenturyLink Field had to wait some 69 minutes to see a goal, as Pappa's effort from outside the area took a wicked deflection to wrong-foot the helpless Tally Hall.

It got worse for the visitors shortly after as Ricardo Clark was penalised for a foul on Martins, before Pineda stepped up to double Seattle's lead.

Dynamo were thrown the slimmest of lifelines with five minutes of normal time remaining when Martins was issued with a second booking, but the visitors struggled to make a dent in the two-goal deficit.