COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Andy Rose scored in the 87th minute to help the Vancouver Whitecaps hold off winless Colorado 3-2 on Friday night, spoiling the interim coach Conor Casey's debut with the Rapids.
Colorado (0-8-2) broke a tie for the second-longest winless stretch to start a MLS season. The Rapids fired head coach Anthony Hudson on Wednesday and replaced him with Casey.
Fredy Montero opened the scoring in the 16th minute for Vancouver (2-5-3), curling a breakaway shot around Tim Howard. Lucas Venuto scored his first MLS goal 10 minutes later, redirecting Montero's cross for a 2-0 lead.
"The first 30 minutes we came on very well," Whitecaps coach Marc Dos Santos said. "I think we controlled the game through our possession, created opportunities, scored in the big opportunities that we got."
Kei Kamara pulled Colorado to 2-1 in the 38th minute on a penalty kick and tied it early in the second half from the same spot for his seventh goal of the season. The Rapids were reduced to 10 men in the 77th when Diego Rubio received a straight red card for high contact with defender Doneil Henry.
"Kei scores the 2-2 (goal) and then it creates doubt, right? Because you're again involved in a game that you controlled and it's 2-0 and then it becomes 2-2," Dos Santos said. "When that goal goes in you still have a certain reaction and our guys still went for it and scored the 3-2."
The Associated Press
