The sweetest feeling ever, in other words.

Just eight games into his tenure with Real Salt Lake, and the 21-year-old midfielder all but secured the first Major League Soccer playoff berth in his team's history, one-timing a wondrous shot out of midair and into the top corner in the 54th minute to lead RSL to a 3-1 victory over FC Dallas in front of 17,628 fans at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday night.

"That's the best feeling in the world," Johnson said. "That's why you play the game."

Now, all RSL needs to make a historic trip to the playoffs is for Chivas USA to beat or tie Colorado at the Home Depot Center today - a game the team plans to watch on television together at the stadium. And even if the Rapids win, RSL would need only to tie them in the regular-season finale in Colorado next weekend to reach the postseason.

"We'll be cheering for Chivas," midfielder Kyle Beckerman said. "Probably the first time we'll ever be cheering for Chivas."

The game was marred by two FC Dallas ejections - the first by midfielder Marcelo Saragosa for elbowing RSL's Robbie Russell in the head in the 30th minute, which forced the Hoops to play the final hour a man down.

And that changed everything.

Having come out passively and allowed Saragosa to score the opening goal on a glancing header off a long throw-in by Adrian Serioux in the sixth minute, RSL suddenly was reinvigorated and able to press the attack. It equalized just six minutes after Saragosa was sent off, too, when striker Yura Movsisyan knocked a shot off defender Drew Moor's foot and high over goalkeeper Dario Sala.

"That was vital," defender Ian Joy said. "It was a massive goal for us."

Coach Jason Kreis said that although he was disappointed at allowing the early goal, "it may have been a good thing, because what it did was it woke up our team. It really woke them up and got them playing, maybe made them angry. So I think the response from them was absolutely fantastic."

From there, RSL owned the night.

It controlled the game the rest of the way, though Kreis acknowledged some frustration that the Hoops were able to create a few too many chances in the second half. One shot hit the crossbar, in fact, but ultimately, Johnson's spectacular strike eliminated FC Dallas from playoff contention.

"It just sort of turned with the ball - it hopped up on me a little bit - and I just thought, 'hit it,' " Johnson said. "It all happened so fast. . . . You know, you get a ball like that, you just give it a ride."

He wasn't the only one to rifle at shot into the top corner, either.

Substitute striker Robbie Findley launched a rocket there for an insurance goal in the 86th minute, off a pass from midfielder Javier Morales on a counterattack. Morales assisted on two of RSL's goals, bringing his team-record total to 15 on the season.

Moments later, FC Dallas' Pablo Ricchetti was red-carded for his brutal tackle on Johnson, then exchanged words with RSL players and coaches as he walked past the bench toward the locker room. The loss eliminated FC Dallas from playoff contention, and ruined the chance for assistant coach John Ellinger and strikers Jeff Cunningham and Jamie Watson to sting their old team.

"We got what we deserved," Movsisyan said.

mcl@sltrib.com

* IN SHORT - Real Salt Lake moves tantalizingly close to its first playoff appearance, defeating FC Dallas 3-1 after allowing the opening goal in the sixth minute.

* KEY STAT - RSL's Yura Movsisyan has scored five goals in the last seven games.

* KEY MOMENT - FC Dallas' Marcelo Saragosa is ejected for elbowing RSL's Robbie Russell, allowing RSL to play the final hour with a man advantage.