Morgan Whittaker scored in the 81st minute as the Colorado Rapids defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 1-0 to extend their home unbeaten streak to 10.
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The Colorado Rapids earned a 1-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado, extending their home unbeaten streak to 10 matches.
Goalkeeper Nico Hansen recorded his eighth clean sheet of the season for Colorado. The Rapids have shut out opponents 11 times this year, the fifth-most in MLS.
The difference came late as Morgan Whittaker headed home a ball that bounced off the top of the crossbar in the 81st minute. It was his third goal of the season since joining Colorado at the end of the summer transfer window.
Vancouver’s Yohei Takaoka kept the match close with several key saves, including two opportunities in the first half: he handled a low shot from Whittaker and stopped a clean header from Noah Cobb in the 10th minute off a corner kick.
Rapids coach Matt Wells praised Whittaker’s overall impact after the match. “Obviously, he scored his goal, but he had a big chance one on one with the keeper and it was him with the header as well in the frame in the goal second half,” Wells said. “I thought he had a really good game.”
Whittaker said he is now “fully adapted” to life with the Rapids and credited the organization for helping him adjust. “At the start it was difficult. I feel fully adapted to it now, and the players, staff, and all the people associated with the Rapids made it really easy for me to fit in, so it doesn’t feel like I’ve been here a short time as I have,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been here for a while, so I’m really thankful to them, and it’s made me fit in really easily. And now I’m dealing with the altitude a lot better. It’s hopefully showing in my play.”
With the three points, Colorado sits in eighth place in the Western Conference playoff race. The Rapids are 7-0-3 in their last 10 home matches at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
Colorado is back in action on Wednesday, when they travel to PayPal Park to face the San Jose Earthquakes at 8:30 p.m.
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