Atiba Harris strike earns Colorado home win

Apr 7, 2013 at 12.30am UK

An Atiba Harris strike earns Colorado Rapids a vital home win over Real Salt Lake in the MLS Western Conference.

Published: April 7 2013 | 03:12

Last updated: April 7 2013 | 05:09

Colorado Rapids earned a vital 1-0 home win over MLS Western Conference rivals Real Salt Lake thanks to an Atiba Harris strike.

The home side got off to the perfect start when they took the lead through Harris when he bundled the ball into the net after the visitors had failed to clear their lines from an Edson Buddle cross.

Real Salt Lake had the chance to get level straight away when they were awarded a penalty. Dillon Powers brought down Kyle Beckerman in the area but Clinton Irwin made a good save to deny Alvaro Saborio from the spot.

Deshorn Brown could have doubled the hosts' lead when he was put through by Harris but his volleyed effort was well saved by Nick Rimando, who parried the shot over the bar.

After the break, Irwin did well to deny Saborio again when he got down low to his right to stop the striker's powerful effort reaching the bottom corner after he turned his man on the edge of the area.

Brown went inches away from getting his second of the game in the 73rd minute when he got in front of his marker in the area and prodded Chris Klute's cross at goal, but the ball spun wide of the post.

The Rapids looked the side more likely to score again and Rimando had to do well to turn Jamie Smith's effort over the bar when he drove into the area and fired a powerful shot at goal.

Real Salt Lake tried late on to get an equaliser but the closest the game was through Saborio when his header went wide of the target, as the home side held out for the win.

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Eastern Conference

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Inter Miami Inter Miami	34	22	8	4	79	49	30	74
2	Columbus Crew	34	19	9	6	72	40	32	66
3	FC Cincinnati Cincinnati	34	18	5	11	58	48	10	59
4	Orlando City	34	15	7	12	59	50	9	52
5	Charlotte FC Charlotte FC	34	14	9	11	46	37	9	51
6	New York City FC NY City	34	14	8	12	54	49	5	50
7	New York Red Bulls NY Red Bulls	34	11	14	9	55	50	5	47
8	CF Montreal Montreal	34	11	10	13	48	64	-16	43
9	Atlanta United Atlanta	34	10	10	14	46	49	-3	40
10	DC United	34	10	10	14	52	70	-18	40
11	Philadelphia Union Philadelphia	34	9	10	15	62	55	7	37
12	Toronto	34	11	4	19	40	61	-21	37
13	Nashville SC Nashville	34	9	9	16	38	54	-16	36
14	New England Revolution New England	34	9	4	21	37	74	-37	31
15	Chicago Fire	34	7	9	18	40	62	-22	30

Western Conference

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Los Angeles FC Los Angeles	34	19	7	8	63	43	20	64
2	Los Angeles Galaxy LA Galaxy	34	19	7	8	69	50	19	64
3	Real Salt Lake Salt Lake	34	16	11	7	65	48	17	59
4	Seattle Sounders Seattle	34	16	9	9	51	35	16	57
5	Houston Dynamo Houston	34	15	9	10	47	39	8	54
6	Minnesota United Minnesota Utd	34	15	7	12	58	49	9	52
7	Colorado Rapids Colorado	34	15	5	14	61	60	1	50
8	Portland Timbers Portland	34	12	11	11	65	56	9	47
9	Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver	34	13	8	13	52	49	3	47
10	Austin FC Austin	34	11	9	14	39	48	-9	42
11	Dallas	34	11	8	15	54	56	-2	41
12	St Louis City	34	8	13	13	50	63	-13	37
13	Sporting Kansas City Kansas	34	8	7	19	51	66	-15	31
14	San Jose Earthquakes Earthquakes	34	6	3	25	41	78	-37	21