It wasn't pretty, but the Colorado Rapids claimed the full three points with a gritty 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City Saturday night at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
Colorado's homegrown rookie defender Kortne Ford got on the end of a Shkelzen Gashi free kick in the 11th minute and the Rapids held on for the next 79-plus minutes to post their third win of the year despite being outshot 25-6.
Goals
- 11' - COL - Kortne Ford WATCH
Three Things
- HOMEGROWN JOY: Kortne Ford let out a loud roar after his goal. And who could blame him. Earlier this year the 21-year-old became the club's fourth homegrown player to appear in an MLS match. And tonight, in only his fifth start and appearance, he scored his first goal and helped Colorado post its first shutout and win with him in the lineup in front of his friends and family, who continue to support Kortne and his mom through a difficult situation.
- BUNKER AND HOLD: Tonight was a flashback to the 2016 Colorado side that won eight games by a 1-0 score. Coming into tonight's game the Rapids were last in the West and had scored the fewest goals. So after scoring their early goal, they decided to try to hold on to it, bending but never breaking. Was it pretty? That's in the eye of the beholder. Was it effective? They got three points.
- ROAD WOES: Sporting KC did just about everything they could to get points out of the game, but ultimately they could not break down the stingy Rapids defense despite dominating possession 73-27. SKC took 14 shots in the first half and another 11 in the second, though 21 of those shots were from outside the box. Five players took at least three shots, led by Benny Feilhaber's seven. Add it up, and it's the sixth time in eight games that SKC has been shutout on the road. Yes, they're still in first place in the West, but they'll likely have to improve on their 1-4-3 road record to stay there.
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