FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Chances are that many fans around the league aren't familiar with Colorado Rapids midfielder Nick LaBrocca.
They might pay a bit more attention after LaBrocca headed in the game's only goal to give the Rapids a 1-0 victory against the Revolution at Gillette Stadium on Saturday night.
LaBrocca latched onto Jose Burciaga Jr.'s bending free kick cross and nodded home at the far post to give the Rapids a surprising victory.
"It feels great," LaBrocca said. "But I would have felt that way if anyone had scored and we won the game. The goal is just an added bonus."
LaBrocca managed to jump when Revs forward Adam Cristman did not. The second-year midfielder said he just managed to time his run correctly to get in the proper position.
"It was a great ball into the box," LaBrocca said. "I just slipped away from my man."
The Rapids did a lot of man-marking over the course of the contest, setting out to absorb pressure in the midfield and pin the dangerous Revolution wingers back inside their own half.
The posture didn't allow Colorado to create many chances. Aside from LaBrocca's header, Christian Gomez's early effort, saved off the line by Jay Heaps after Matt Reis spilled a Terry Cooke cross into Gomez's path, marked the only other real quality chance for the visitors.
But the effort was certainly there on the defensive side of the ball and gave the Rapids three points. Colorado head coach Fernando Clavijo said this game made up for the lost points in Kansas City last weekend.
"I thought we outplayed Kansas City last week," Clavijo said. "We got the goal when needed it today."
Not only did the Rapids manage to scrape the goal it needed, the team held firm despite significant pressure from the home side in the last 20 minutes.
"You need to kill the game as much as possible," Clavijo said. "We were able to manage it today."
Clavijo can also thank 'keeper Bouna Coundoul for saving his team on numerous occasions. The Senegal international denied Kenny Mansally on three separate occasions and stoned substitute Kheli Dube late in the second half.
"Sometimes, you need someone to step up for you," Clavijo said.
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
