an MLS record 642 minutes played without a goal.
At Toyota Park, the Fire and Wizards were meeting just three days after Kansas City exploded for three second-half goals before holding on for a 3-2 win at Arrowhead Stadium.
Unlike that open affair, both teams started the return match a lot tighter, but the Fire took advantage of the one dangerous opportunity they needed just before halftime. Ivan Guerrero was taken down just outside the top of the area, and Cuauhtemoc Blanco curled the resulting free kick around the wall and inside the left-hand post for his second league goal with Chicago.
The Fire sealed the match in the 86th minute. From a short corner, Blanco swung in a good cross to the penalty spot where Calen Carr came storming in and headed home through the legs of K.C. goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.
Once again, Blanco was at the heart of everything for the Fire -- he has been involved in some way in each of the last six goals the Fire have scored, and in seven of the 10 goals Chicago has scored since he joined the club (including a friendly against Celtic FC, when he scored in his first game with the club).
At Dick's Sporting Goods Park, the Rapids came into the game off back-to-back shutout victories against the two conference leaders, while the Galaxy had lost four in a row after the Thursday night home loss in the Super Clasico against Chivas USA and had been shut out in four of five games.
Missing seven first-team players to injury with an eighth suspended, the Galaxy had just 16 available players, two shy of the allowed number. The Rapids exploded for three goals in a 17-minute span to put the game away before halftime.
In the 26th minute, a neat touch from Jovan Kirovski sent Conor Casey free behind the Galaxy back line, and he went haring into the area. As a defender came over and goalkeeper Joe Cannon raced off his line, Casey cut inside to the center of the box and banged the ball home past a pair of retreating defenders in the six-yard box.
Eight minutes later the Rapids doubled the lead. Terry Cooke was sprung down the right flank and swung in a low cross. A Galaxy defender saw it bounce off his foot right in front of goal, and Colin Clark lashed it home inside the right post for his first MLS goal.
Two minutes before halftime Colorado made it 3-0. Cooke swung in a corner from the right, and Cannon barely got a fist to it as he tried to punch it away. The ball fell to the feet of Mike Petke, who poked it home to put the final touch on the win.
