DENVER — Bring on Real Madrid.

That's no doubt what Real Salt Lake's players are thinking after their impressive 4-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids at Invesco Field Wednesday night, a game that raised the intensity level of the Rocky Mountain rivalry to new heights.

In a game that featured 34 total fouls — 23 by Real — eight yellow cards and two red cards, former Colorado Rapid Jeff Cunningham stole the show with two goals and one assist as RSL won for the third time in five games.

"All season long we've been putting ourselves in position to win the game," said Cunningham, who added that RSL is now doing what it takes to win those games instead of giving them away.

Salt Lake did that Wednesday with a dominating performance against a team it hadn't beaten since April 16 of last year, a span of five games.

"We've lost a lot of close games to them, so that tends to get under your skin at times," said RSL coach John Ellinger.

RSL didn't let that frustration spill onto the field Wednesday, and that enabled it to win the mental battle.

"The first 10 minutes they were all complaining at each other and the referee, which they normally do, but they got very frustrated," said Real midfielder Carey Talley.

RSL exploited that with a 25th minute goal, and three more in the second half to ice away a much-needed victory.

With the victory, RSL improved to 6-10-5 on the season and is now very much in the thick of the playoff race. It remained in a fifth-place tie with the Los Angeles Galaxy, who also won Wednesday night, with 23 points in the Western Conference standings. More importantly, Salt Lake only trails fourth-place Chivas by four points and third-place Colorado by five points.

The first half was all about Cunningham, both good and bad.

MLS's leading scorer had three breakaway opportunities, two courtesy of Talley passes over the top and the other courtesy of defender Hunter Freeman's awful giveaway. Of those three chances, Cunningham only put away one.

Even though his 25th-minute strike from 15 yards was picture perfect, he no doubt walked off the field at the half bemoaning his two other missed opportunities.

Twelve minutes after his first goal, Cunningham watched in agony as Colorado keeper Joe Cannon made a point-blank kick save as Cunningham's shot bounced harmlessly past the left post. Shortly before halftime, Cunningham successfully touched the ball around Cannon on his third breakaway chance, but he stumbled over the ball before he could unleash a shot.

Surprisingly, Ellinger said he wasn't nervous about the second half with just the one-goal lead.