Jack Price scored his first goal of the season early, Diego Rubio bagged his 11th from a free kick in first-half stoppage time and the Colorado Rapids kept their postseason hopes alive with a 3-0 victory over FC Dallas on Sunday evening at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
Kei Kamara added his 13th of the year on a second-half counterattack following a give-and-go with Nicolas Mezquida.
With the win, the Rapids pulled within touching distance of Dallas and San Jose entering next Sunday's Decision Day presented by AT&T, and have won five games out of six under manager Robin Fraser. Despite the dominant win, they'll will need another victory at LAFC and a load of help next Sunday if they are to complete their miracle postseason push.
Dallas remain above the playoff line in seventh place, one point above San Jose and three ahead of Colorado. But they're winless in their last four, and might've suffered an even greater defeat here if not for Jesse Gonzalez's penalty save from Kamara in the first half and a double denial of Danny Wilson late in the second.
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Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE:Tim Howard returned from a four-game layoff with a hamstring injury to make what will be his final start in Colorado, and ended the night with his 38th career MLS shutout, including 21 for the Rapids. It was a proper sendoff for Captain America, who finished with three stops and made this crucial save when his side's lead was still just a single goal.
</li><li><strong>MOMENT OF THE MATCH:</strong> Diego Rubio's sneaky set piece was a dagger blow to Dallas, coming with the final kick of the first half.
</li><li><strong>MAN OF THE MATCH:</strong> Kei Kamara. The Sierra Leone international may want his spot kick back, but he was a handful throughout the match, creating space for others early before pouncing for his deserved goal. He also broke down Reto Ziegler late with a vicious step-over, but was again denied by a stellar Gonzalez.
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Up Next
- COL: Sunday, October 6 at LAFC (4 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in the US and DAZN in Canada)
- DAL: Sunday, October 6 vs Sporting Kansas City (4 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in the US and DAZN in Canada)
