SANDY, Utah -- Seattles first goal against Real Salt Lake this season was a big one: It put them in the Western Conference finals. Mario Roberto Martinez ended a season-long scoring drought for the Sounders against Real Salt Lake when he found the net in the 81st minute, helping Seattle advance with a 1-0 victory Thursday night after the teams played to a scoreless tie in the first leg of their series. The third-seeded Sounders scored for the first time in five games against Real Salt Lake, including the opener of this semifinal Nov. 2 in Seattle. With a 1-0 aggregate victory, the Sounders earned a trip to the conference finals against the defending champion Los Angeles Galaxy. The Galaxy defeated the San Jose Earthquakes. "We were thinking we could score a goal," Seattle forward Fredy Montero said. "Through this week, all we needed to do is score one goal. The goal was in the 80-something minute, but were happy with that. We score one goal and we win." Montero set the decisive scoring play in motion when he swung a cross out to Martinez on the left side of the box. The pass drew Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando toward the left post. Martinez fired at the opposite post and buried the ball in the right corner. Second-seeded Salt Lake became the third higher seed to be knocked out of the MLS Cup playoffs. The Sounders had been winless in three games against RSL during the regular season after failing to score in any of them. None of that mattered Thursday. With RSL struggling on offence at the end of the season, the Sounders felt confident they could come through. "Weve come in here and won before, so we were confident we could do it again," Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said. "Weve been playing good defence. Weve havent been giving up many goals and thats important from our perspective. We knew we could get a goal at the end of the day eventually." Salt Lake attacked vigorously in the early minutes of the first half. It nearly paid off in the 10th minute when Ned Grabavoy shook off a defender in pursuit and fired a running left-footer down the left side of the box. Sounders keeper Michael Gspurning snagged the ball to deny Grabavoy. Salt Lake also had a chance to put in a free kick in the 40th minute. Javier Morales put the ball on goal, but Gspurning snatched it out of the air in the centre of the box to keep the game scoreless. "Ive said all along that he deserves to be goalkeeper of the year," Schmid said of Gspurning. "A lot of people think he doesnt because of the fact he missed a series of games. I dont know if you get excluded from awards because you got injured for a few games. He has been a tremendous addition for our team." Seattle had the advantage of playing with the wind at their backs in the first half. The Sounders moved the ball quickly down field several times and set several corner kicks. Nothing much came from that effort. Rimando kept Seattle off the board with a brilliant save in the 31st minute. Martinez launched a left-footer from outside the box on a free kick. Rimando sprang up and batted away the ball into the crossbar to force a corner kick. The Sounders could not get another look at the net from the corner. Rimando came up with another huge save in the 46th minute. Christian Tiffert found Brad Evans on a cross and Evans tried to sneak a left footer past Rimando along the right post. He dived for the ball and denied Seattle yet again. Salt Lake gave the Sounders a scare in the 62nd minute when Morales served up another long ball. Morales fired off a right-footer from more than 40 yards away. It nearly skipped into the goal before Gspurning came up with the last-minute save. The inability to finish off yet another scoring chance ultimately derailed RSLs hopes of playing for another MLS Cup. "Everybody believed that we would get a goal one way or another," Salt Lake midfielder Will Johnson said. "This team has scored a lot of goals over the years. It seems bizarre that all of a sudden we couldnt find the back of the net." The goal for RSL going into 2013 is figuring out how to improve its offensive potency. "We have to score," Morales said. "The last few matches we didnt score a goal and its tough to advance playing like that." Seattle might have extra motivation against Los Angeles when the teams meet on Sunday. The Galaxy made a mistake in a press release after winning on Wednesday by mentioning they would meet Salt Lake in the Western Conference final. That didnt sit well in the Sounders locker room. "L.A. thought they were playing Salt Lake," Schmid said. "They put out a press release saying they were playing Salt Lake. We hate to disappoint them." nfl jerseys china . The amazing Federer will appear in his 35th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal on Wednesday. The second-seeded former world No. 1 Federer, who has yet to drop a set through four matches, got past 13th-seeded Canadian slugger Milos Raonic 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, while the third-seeded Murray, who has also won 12 straight sets here, whipped 14th-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 at Melbourne Park. cheap jerseys china . "We were really able to break the mould and win a lot of Grand Slams and a lot of tournaments and not only that, but kind of change the face of tennis," Serena said Wednesday. http://www.chinawholesalenflj... . Overall, more than 1.5 million Canadians tuned in to watch some or all of the broadcast on TSN. Canadians were also engaged on Twitter, with #13thMan and #EngravedOnANation trending nationally throughout the broadcast. CTV2 will air The 13th Man at 7pm on Saturday. [url=http://www.chinawholesalenfljerseyscheap.com/]wholesale nfl jerseys . -- Although Mike Richards and a couple of his Los Angeles teammates might have information that could help the Vancouver Canucks out of a daunting playoff deficit, dont expect them to give it up. cheap nfl jerseys wholesale . Unable to work a trade with Orlando for Dwight Howard, the Nets used the first day contracts could be signed to get a deal done with their current centre.PHILADELPHIA -- Dumped by Milwaukee last week, Brooks Conrad is a hit with Tampa Bay. Conrad ripped a pair of two-run doubles off winless Cliff Lee, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 on Sunday night to complete a day-night doubleheader sweep. Conrad was released by the Brewers after going 3 for 40. The infielder was claimed by the Rays on Thursday and went 3 for 6 with five RBIs in the first weekend for his new team. Conrads two-out RBI single in the ninth on Saturday cost Jonathan Papelbon his first blown save. "Hes a very aggressive sort," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "Hes also very eager to play, our type of guy." Conrad played three seasons for Atlanta before signing with Milwaukee last winter. He was most remembered for making three errors to give one game away during the 2010 NLDS against San Francisco. "When I found out where I was going, I was super excited," he said. "Every guy I talked to said how they loved playing here, and how they loved playing for Joe Maddon." Lee (0-4) allowed five runs and six hits in seven innings. The 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner hasnt won a game since last Sept. 26, or 273 days ago. Lee is making $21.5 million this year, most on the Phillies. "I definitely made some mistakes, and they made me pay for it," Lee said. In the opener Sunday, Carlos Pena hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning, and the Rays held on for a 3-2 victory. David Price became the first AL pitcher to reach 10 wins. Cole Hamels pitched three-hit ball for seven shutout innings in his first appearance against the Rays since he was the MVP of the 2008 World Series for Philadelphia. But the lefty departed after throwing 111 pitches, and Pena connected off Antonio Bastardo (2-2). Because of Fridays rainout, the Rays went with a "bullpen" game. Cesar Ramos tossed 2 2-3 hitless innings in his third career start and first since 2009. Wade Davis allowed three runs and three hits in 2 2-3 innings in relief of Ramos. Brandon Gomes (2-2) earned the win with 2 2-3 scoreless innings. The five-time defending NL East champion Phillies are 6-15 in June and they fell back into last place, a game behind Miami. The depleted Phillies should be getting some help soon. Chase Utley is scheduled to play for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday, and the five-time All-Star second baseman could make his season debut this week. Utley has been sidelined because of chronic knee problems. Former NL MVP Ryan Howard is still rehabbing in extended spring training after having surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon last year. Two-time Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay hasnt pitched since May 27 because of a lat injury. Lee hasnt received much run support this season. He couldnt even get a win when he threw 10 scoreless innings at San Francisco on April 18. But he has also blown three three-run leads. In his last seven starts, Lee has a 5.10 ERA. Sean Rodriguez hit an RBI double off Lee to put the Rays up 1-0 in the second. Conrad followed by hitting a 3-0 pitch down the left-field line to score twoo and make it 3-0.dddddddddddd Placido Polanco hit an RBI double, and John Mayberry Jr. followed with a run-scoring single to get the Phillies within 3-2 in the fourth. Lee retired the first two batters in the sixth before Ben Zobrist singled and Rodriguez walked. Conrad then hit a double off the top of the fence in right-centre to give the Rays a 5-2 lead. Rodriguez knocked over catcher Brian Schneider at home, and Schneider left the game with a right ankle sprain. Polancos RBI double in the sixth cut it to 5-3, but the Phillies couldnt score him from third with no outs. The Rays scored two insurance runs in the eighth when B.J. Rosenberg walked four batters. Jake Diekman came in and walked in a run. Price (10-4) went seven innings in Game 1 and gave up four hits, including Jimmy Rollins homer in the sixth. "I try to treat every start the same, but whenever youre facing somebody who is one of their top guys, it definitely heightens your sense of awareness," Price said. "You know you cant go six and give up three." Phillies manager Charlie Manuel became testy with the media when questioned about lifting Hamels for Bastardo, as well as explaining his late-game pinch-hitting decisions. "Thats our eighth-inning guy," Manuel said of Bastardo. "I think right now, what you see is the pitchers that we have. Thats the ones that we have in our minor leagues and up here. Thats what it is." "You guys ought to sit in the dugout with me and give me all the scenarios," Manuel added. "I dont think we know them. I mean, we dont know how to manage the game. Like really, I think you should sit down there with us or tweet us (strategy) or something." A duel between two of the top left-handers in the major leagues shaped up from the start. Price trailed 1-0 before the Rays rallied. Fernando Rodney pitched a scoreless ninth for his 21st save in 22 chances. Rollins reached second base with two outs after a single and stolen base, but Rodney struck out Hunter Pence swinging to end the game. Hamels was 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two starts against Tampa Bay in 2008 when the Phillies won their title. He pitched even better on Sunday. Bastardo walked two of the first three batters he faced. Pena hit the first pitch over the fence in right field. NOTES: Lee is the only pitcher in the majors this season with at least 10 starts and no wins. ... Jim Thome, pinch-hitting for the Phillies in the eighth in Game 1, was intentionally walked to tie Mickey Mantle for seventh place on the career list with 1,733 walks. ... Hamels fanned seven to tie Hall of Famer Jim Bunning for sixth place on the Phillies career strikeout list with 1,197. ... The Phillies sellout streak is up to 257 straight games, counting post-season play. ... The Rays open a three-game series at Kansas City on Monday night with RHP Alex Cobb (3-3, 3.82 ERA) scheduled to face Royals RHP Luke Hochevar (4-7, 5.65). ... Philadelphia hosts the Pirates on Monday night for the first of four when RHP Joe Blanton (6-6, 5.04) faces LHP Erik Bedard (4-7, 4.13). ' ' '