COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Abe Thompson scored two late goals to help FC Dallas wrap up an MLS playoff berth with a 3-1 victory over the Columbus Crew on Saturday.

Arturo Alvarez also scored for Dallas (13-11-4). The loss put the Crew (7-11-10) on the brink of missing the playoff for the third straight year.

Thompson's first strike came in the 86th minute after goalkeeper Will Hesmer mishandled the ball just to the right of the goalmouth. Thompson tapped the ball into the goal as he was falling over backward.

Three minutes later, Hesmer was unable to hold onto a shot from Alvarez and spilled the ball into Thompson's path for his fifth goal of the season.

Alvarez's curling, left-footed strike from 20 yards beat Hesmer and slipped inside the left goalpost in the 48th minute. Dallas forward Dominic Oduro carried the ball into the right corner of the pitch, where he spun around Columbus defender Marcos Gonzalez to set up Alvarez's third goal of the season.

The goal offset Eddie Gaven's 31st-minute strike, a bouncing shot from 30 yards that appeared to go unseen until the last second by goalkeeper Ray Burse, who was screened by Crew forward Andy Herron.