Terry Cooke may hate statistics, but his was the most important Saturday night against the defending MLS Cup champions.
The English midfielder ripped his second goal of the season in the 22nd minute as the Rapids dropped D.C. United 1-0 before 17,044 at Invesco Field at Mile High for their fourth win in five games.
“It’s always nice to get on the score sheet,” Cooke said. “I usually try to help the team … and it’s always nice to get on the end of one.”
Goalie Joe Cannon made five saves for his seventh shutout of the season and extended his shutout streak to 222 minutes.
Colorado (9-11-4) tightened its grip on the fourth playoff spot in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference and leads fifth-place Real Salt Lake by 12 points with a game in hand. The Rapids trail third-place Los Angeles by four points.
D.C. United (12-9-5) made one change to its lineup that defeated Salt Lake 5-1 on Wednesday. United lost leading scorer Jaime Moreno to a red card in the 65th minute when he kicked Hunter Freeman’s heel after the whistle in front of referee Baldomero Toledo.
Freeman seemed to get under United’s skin early and drew the ire of Freddy Adu, Moreno and Ben Olsen.
“It wasn’t just me, I think they were just frustrated with the whole game,” Freeman said.
Playing their first game in 17 days, the Rapids made up for their rustiness with intensity before settling into their increasingly effective possession game. Kyle Beckerman continued to dictate much of the game’s flow through midfield, which had good space as the result of long runs by Luchi Gonzalez and Jean Philippe Peguero.
Cooke’s goal was a result of Freeman springing Peguero down the right side. Peguero got just inside the 6-yard box and cut a ball back across for Cooke, who had enough time to measure a crackling shot into the right corner.
The Rapids gave the four-time MLS champions little room to create, especially in the defensive third.
“The one thing that was good tonight was that we had the fight and the heart to see it through and get the result,” said Rapids defender Mike Petke, who was traded by United on May 23.
Rookie Dan Gargan made his first career start in the place of Alain Nkong, who is in Cameroon attending to personal business.
Moreno generated two scoring chances in the last five minutes of the first half but his pass was a step behind Olsen and his shot in stoppage time had little pace.
Moreno’s best shot was denied by a sprawling Cannon in the 59th minute.
D.C. 0 0 – 0
Colorado 1 0 – 1
First half – 1, Colorado, Cooke 2 (Peguero, Freeman), 22nd minute.
Second half – None.
Goalies – D.C., Rimando; Colorado, Cannon.
A – 17,044 (27,000).
