VANCOUVER - Octavio Rivero and Cristian Techera scored four minutes apart in the second half Wednesday as the Vancouver Whitecaps defeated the Colorado Rapids 2-0.
The win moves Vancouver (15-10-3) into first place in Major League Soccer's overall standings with 48 points on the season, two ahead of the Los Angeles Galaxy.
A dull affair finally got an injection of excitement in the 73rd minute when Rivero headed home his 10th of the season off a lovely ball over the top from Techera that beat an outstretched Clint Irwin in the Colorado goal.
Rivero tore off his jersey in celebration — a reaction that earned him a yellow card — before being mobbed by teammates.
Techera then buried his sixth of the campaign past a helpless Irwin in the 77th to put the game away and send the crowd of 17,583 at B.C. Place Stadium into a frenzy.
Colorado (8-10-9), which came in having won three straight, is fighting for its playoff life in the Western Conference and already had two victories over Vancouver in Commerce City, Colo., earlier this season.
It looked for a while like the Rapids might at least get a point out of Wednesday night. Both teams were coming off 10-day breaks and neither generated much going forward before the Whitecaps' breakthrough, with Vancouver noticeably lacking a sense of urgency, especially in the first half.
The biggest reaction from the slumbering crowd in the opening 45 minutes came in the 38th when Whitecaps midfielder Gershon Koffie was shown a yellow card.
The Whitecaps were without midfielder Matias Laba and defender Kendall Waston after both were sent off in Vancouver's 2-0 road loss to the Houston Dynamo on Aug. 29.
Pa-Modou Kah returned to the Vancouver lineup after suffering a facial fracture last month, partnering with rookie Tim Parker in the centre of defence, while captain Pedro Morales dropped deeper in the Whitecaps' five-man midfield to take up Laba's spot.
Morales was subbed off with a tight right hamstring at halftime, with Kianz Froese taking his place.
The Whitecaps came out with more intent after the break, with Rivero rising to meet a Jordan Harvey cross in the 55th minute that Irwin handled easily before Kekuta Manneh sent another shot just wide moments later.
Froese then had a good chance in the 66th minute, but his effort was deflected off target by a Colorado defender.
The Rapids' only real opportunity came two minutes before Rivero gave the Whitecaps the lead when substitute Kevin Doyle's header was stopped and held on the line by Vancouver goalkeeper David Ousted.
Notes: The Whitecaps' next game is a home date against Honduran side CD Olympia next Wednesday. ... The Rapids hosts D.C. United in league play on Saturday.
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