Dallas produced a rousing second-half display to beat Texas rivals Houston Dynamo 4-1 at the Toyota Stadium and return to the summit of the Western Conference.
Reeling from back-to-back defeats, the hosts moved ahead on 25 minutes when Mauro Diaz converted a penalty after Fabian Castillo was fouled by Rasheed Olabiyi.
It was not enough to earn a half-time lead, however, as Ricardo Clark's long-range effort found the top corner with nine minutes left as Houston earned parity at the break.
Oscar Pareja's men gave themselves a much-needed shot in the arm early in the second period as quickfire goals flipped the contest on its head.
First, David Texeira found the top corner from outside the box on 51 minutes, before Kellyn Acosta fired home from 12 yards two minutes later to put Dallas into a commanding position.
Texeira added a fourth in stoppage time, after Raul Rodriguez saw red for a foul on Michael Barrios, as Dallas closed in on an MLS Cup spot with four games to play and a six-point cushion from sixth-placed San Jose Earthquakes.
Shane Callaghan
