the assist leader in MLS a season ago -- swung in a service from the right, and Herculez Gomez got up in front of his marker to nod the ball past United goalkeeper Troy Perkins for the opening goal after 19 minutes.
• Then in the 35th minute, the Rapids doubled their lead. Kyle Beckerman was sent through in the left side of the penalty area, and he sent a ball through the goal area that sailed untouched to beyond the far post. But Cooke was there to collect it, and it laid back a pass for Roberto Brown at the penalty spot. The Panamanian international coolly took a touch before slotting it home inside the left-hand post.
• United pulled a goal back in the 80th minute. Brian Carroll sent substitute Kasali Yinka Casal free on the left, and he hooked a cross into the area where Luciano Emilio opened up his MLS scoring account, heading home past Rapids 'keeper Bouna Coundoul. But the Rapids withstood a final flurry from United to ensure a win to inaugurate their new home.
• Rapids head coach Fernando Clavijo ran out his first-choice lineup to open the season. Bouna Coundoul won the goalkeeping job in preseason, while Kyle Beckerman and Jovan Kirovski formed the central midfield partnership with Pablo Mastroeni slowed by injury.
• Here's Clavijo's team (4-4-2): Bouna Coundoul - Brandon Prideaux, Ugo Ihemelu, Mike Petke, Greg Vanney - Terry Cooke, Kyle Beckerman, Jovan Kirovski (Pablo Mastroeni 60), Herculez Gomez - Roberto Brown, Nicolas Hernandez (Jacob Peterson 79). Substitutes Not Used: Nico Colaluca, Dan Gargan, Zach Thornton, Daniel Wasson, Chris Wingert
• "I think we managed it well," Colorado coach Fernando Clavijo said. "We knew we were playing a quality team; there were a lot of emotions going through this game. A lot of things were happening in our minds, and we were able to get opportunities to the players that we brought in, and they were a big part of this win."
TEAM NEWS
• The Rapids took real advantage of the width of the Dick's Sporting Goods Park field - at 80 yards wide, the biggest in MLS - to cause United problems on the flanks.
• "We had to be sure we did the things that work for us," Clavijo said. "We have two outstanding outside midfielders, Cookie and Herculez Gomez. We know we have some guys up front that definitely can finish on crosses. We have to connect. We have to get the ball wide. We have to get the ball in the box, and we have to have those guys finishing. And that's exactly what happened."
• Said Gomez: "The field's enormous. We kept moving around, we had players in the midfield, we got players in the back, spray the ball around wide, go through the middle. It's going to make teams run. Let's face it, nobody likes to run on the pitch, chasing a soccer ball. So it's definitely to our advantage."
• Clavijo said Gomez - who was a forward with the Los Angeles Galaxy - at first was uncertain about his role as a winger. "He's a very young talented forward that we transferred to midfield, a new position," Clavijo said. "He was questioning me in the beginning, and he told me right now that he will never question me again. He's hopefully an upcoming star for us, so I'm very pleased."
• Clavijo was also thrilled with the play of Coundoul. In the offseason the Rapids traded veteran Joe Cannon to the Los Angeles Galaxy, and signed veteran Zach Thornton (last with the Chicago Fire), yet Coundoul - with five career MLS appearances - was the starting goalkeeper on First Kick.
• "You've got to remember, he's only 22 years old," Clavijo said. "He's a young goalkeeper, and he has some big shoes to fill in Joe Cannon. But I think we took a chance for the future of this franchise. I was very pleased with Bouna and the whole team with the way they performed."
• The Rapids were also looking to make a statement in their new home - especially having gone 0-9-2 in season openers in club history before the win against United.
• "It was one of our things to bring a lot of energy in the first 15 minutes. We wanted to have the better start than them. It just went from there. As the energy came, we started to relax and we started to create some chances. We just kept with it," said Kyle Beckerman. "There was a little pressure. We haven't won the opening game before so it wasn't on our side to win. We all thought this is a new chapter so it was a fresh start with the new stadium, new colors and all that. We all knew it was a big deal. We didn't want headlines to say 'Rapids lose home opener.' Once we got out there the nerves went away and we were able to play."
CHICAGO FIRE
The Chicago Fire made an early goal stand up for a 1-0 home victory against last year's other MLS Cup Finalist, the New England Revolution, in their season opener Saturday evening. The Fire sit atop the Eastern Conference with three points, the only team in the division to win on First Kick 2007.
LAST MATCH
• At Toyota Park, the Chicago Fire and New England Revolution were resuming their rivalry that has taken on a fever pitch in recent years, with the Revolution knocking the Fire out of the MLS Cup Playoffs each of the last two seasons on their way to the final.
• It took the Fire just four minutes to jump into the lead. Justin Mapp collected a long pass on the right touchline before curling in a low cross to the near post. Fire midfielder Logan Pause and Revolution defender James Riley both challenged for it before the ball deflected past 'keeper Matt Reis inside the far post.
• Chicago goalkeeper Matt Pickens did his part in the second half to make sure the lone goal would stand up, twice denying Taylor Twellman -- who also saw a shot come crashing off the crossbar -- and on three occasions denying Andy Dorman, two of those saves coming in the dying minutes of the contest.
• Dave Sarachan had his first-choice lineup available, and started Justin Mapp as a wide-ranging playmaking midfielder behind the young strike pair of Chad Barrett and Chris Rolfe.
• Here's Sarachan's team (3-4-1-2): Matt Pickens - C.J. Brown, Jim Curtin, Gonzalo Segares - Logan Pause, Chris Armas, Diego Gutierrez, Ivan Guerrero - Justin Mapp (Dasan Robinson 85) - Chad Barrett (Calen Carr 92+), Chris Rolfe (Thiago 77). Substitutes Not Used: Jon Busch, Floyd Franks, Brian Plotkin, Osei Telesford
• "For a first night, opening game, we get very high passing grades, but we certainly have room to improve, no question, in terms of managing and keeping possession and killing the game off," Sarachan said. "We're pleased that we got one under the belt already, and we'll go back to work ... and iron some things out."
TEAM NEWS
• The Fire were especially pleased they were able to make the early goal stand up, though not without some anxious moments.
• "1-0 - that's the way we wanted to start today. I thought it was a great start for us tonight. Obviously getting an early goal was really critical in our opening game at home," Sarachan said. "I thought it was really lively, but as the half went on, we got a little bit careless. We dodged a couple balls in the box that [Taylor] Twellman almost got his head on. Second half again, we had a pretty good start to the half. Obviously, [New England] was behind pushing."
• Said defender C.J. Brown: "I felt like we did fairly well. A shutout is always a good sign of that. I think Pickens obviously made some huge saves for us. Defensively, I felt we were pretty well organized. We were staying on the forwards. They got a couple free shots, but that's a given. You're going to give them one or two a game, and Pickens came up big on those."
• For Logan Pause, it was his first goal in his 97th career MLS game. "I made a hard near-post run. Justin [Mapp] got around a defender and clipped the ball in. I got a little dink on it with my head and it squeezed in. ... It's nice to get the monkey off my back. Playing in the league for over four years and now getting a goal is a big relief and it's even better because I was able to contribute to the win."
• For Matt Pickens, who won the starting goalkeeping job late last season, it was his second career shutout. He shut out D.C. United 1-0, Sept. 17, 2006. "It is a comfortable for me to that I know that every night that I will be in goal," Pickens said. "Playing in Chicago is a great atmosphere and the fans add to the intensity of the game and I feed off that."
• A real key to the Fire scheme was the freedom afforded to Justin Mapp. The lithe playmaker was especially dribbling at Revolution defenders, roaming from side to side to find chinks in the New England rearguard.
• "It's something I like, and when the coaches give me room to roam, I just want to take advantage of that," Mapp said to the Daily Southtown. "The latter part of the season last year I had the same kind of role and I was able to do some things. But to come out and do it tonight and get the win, that's the most important thing." Said Sarachan: "Game to game we'll see how he fits into the system, but people saw tonight what he can do when he finds room. He's very dangerous out there."
• Jim Curtin started in the center of defense, just his third start in a league game since May 6 of last season, when he suffered a fractured foot that limited him to just six league appearances the rest of the way - though he did start three of the Fire's four matches in their U.S. Open Cup run (and came on as a substitute in the final).
• Before the match, the Fire signed goalkeeper Jon Busch, who had been placed on waivers by the Columbus Crew. In exchange, the Fire gave up a selection in the 2009 Supplemental Draft. Busch has been limited to just 17 appearances over the past two seasons with a couple of knee injuries.
