Music: {allcanada} MATTOCKS SCORES TO LIFT WHITECAPS TO WIN OVER RAPIDS

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

{allcanada} MATTOCKS SCORES TO LIFT WHITECAPS TO WIN OVER RAPIDS

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- Darren Mattocks scored in the 43rd minute to lift the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday night.

Mattocks scored his fourth goal of the season on a defensive breakdown and gave Vancouver (8-4-5) its third win in five games and the second-year team's first victory in Colorado. Joe Cannon, who had 25 shutouts while playing for the Rapids, earned his seventh shutout of the season for the Whitecaps.

Colorado (7-9-1) also lost 1-0 to Vancouver on June 16. The latest loss pushed the Rapids seven points behind the third-place Whitecaps in the Western Conference.

The Whitecaps had one scoring chance in the first half, and Mattocks delivered after Colorado had dominated play.

The Rapids had two chances a minute apart as Cannon denied them both.

Conor Casey broke free along the left sideline and got off a left-footed kick from 30 yards out. Cannon got on all fours to smother the ball in the 31st minute.

A minute later Martin Rivero sent a cross to Jeff Larentowicz, who got a header off but Cannon leaped high and put two hands on the ball to catch it.

Jordan Harvey tried to get the ball down low for Vancouver only to watch Drew Moor step in front to stop the play. However, Moor fanned on the ball and Mattocks had a clear path to it and poked it into an open net.

The Rapids kept the pressure on Cannon in the second half without any success. Cannon steered aside a shot by Brian Mullein from the slot in the 50th minute. Jamie Smith had a clear shot form 30 yards out deflected by a defender wide of the left post in the 61st.