COMMERCE CITY — The pregame atmosphere was so electric before the MLS champion Rapids opened their season Saturday night, coach Gary Smith was a little nervous about disappointing the faithful.
His players didn’t let him worry for long, though. They scored three goals in the first 30 minutes against the expansion Portland Timbers and prevailed 3-1 before 17,139 spectators, spoiling former Rapids striker John Spencer’s head coaching debut.
More than 400 Portland fans traveled here to be part of their team’s history, filling the northeast corner of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park with chants, songs and good-natured taunts directed at two Rapids groups encamped in the Supporters’ Terrace at the north end of the pitch.
The Rapids gave “MLS Cup Champions” flags to all of their fans, who held them proudly as they fluttered in a stiff breeze while the MLS Cup made a tour of the field before kickoff. Then a plaque bearing the same legend was unveiled at the north end, accompanied by fireworks.
“I thought it was great when we came out,” Smith said. “I don’t know whose idea the flags were, but it looked wonderful. Aesthetically, it was terrific. It’s always a worry that the party gets gate- crashed a little bit.”
It took the Rapids only eight minutes to score. Forward Omar Cummings embarrassed Portland defender Rodney Wallace on the right wing, beating him along the goal line with an exchange of elbows and sliding a ball into the goal area, where midfielder Jeff Larentowicz poked it home for the first goal of the season. That settled Smith’s nerves, and those of his players as well.
“It takes a lot of the guessing out of it,” Larentowicz said. “I think they (Portland) showed a lot of energy and they showed a lot of passion because it was their first game. We got a couple breaks, the ball fell the right way for us and we were fortunate in that sense. But at the same time, we never let them really get a chance to get back into the game.”
Cummings tallied in the 29th minute, unleashing a shot Timbers goalkeeper Adin Brown stopped but failed to control. Cummings pounced on the rebound to become the first player in MLS history to score in four consecutive season openers.
“I think we made individual errors and got punished badly for them,” Spencer said. “When you come and play against a good team, champions of the league, and you give them chances, you dive in and you don’t win tackles, you don’t compete, you’re going to get punished.”
Then midfielder Jamie Smith made it 3-0, firing a rocket from 25 yards that beat Brown in the upper right corner.
“The third goal was a world-class goal,” Spencer said. “You take your hat off and say: ‘You know what? Don’t think there’s any goalkeeper in the world who could stop that.”
Conor Casey deserves credit for laying the ball in Smith’s path, where Smith could run onto it and crush it.
“I just fancied having a shot,” Smith said. “I just hit it first time, and I don’t think the ‘keeper had time to set himself or prepare for it.”
The Rapids gave up a free kick goal in the second half, but the near-sellout crowd went home happy.
“I was pleased to offer them something from us to get behind,” Smith said, “and in the end, it was a really nice night for everyone.”
Portland 0 1 — 1
Colorado 3 0 — 3
First period — 1, Colorado, Larentowicz 1, 9th minute. 2, Colorado, Cummings 1, 30th. 3, Colorado, Smith 1, 31st.
Second half — 4, Portland, Cooper 1, 79th.
Goalies — Portland, Adin Brown; Colorado, Matt Pickens.
Yellow cards — Casey, Colorado, 40th; Mastroeni, Colorado, 63rd.
Referee — Ricardo Salazar. Assistant referees — Craig Lowry. Peter Manikowski. 4th official — Yader Reyes.
John Meyer: 303-954-1616 or jmeyer@denverpost.com
