Lucas Pittinari scored the only goal of the game to fire the Colorado Rapids to a 1-0 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS.

The visitors were presented with the first opening of the game as Kekuta Manneh powered an effort at goal from distance, and Clint Irwin was forced to get down quickly to tip the ball past the post.

Vancouver came close again as Mauro Rosales lined up a free kick outside the box, but Irwin was on hand to tip his curling strike over the bar.

From the resulting corner, Octavio Rivero came within inches of handing the Whitecaps the lead, but he saw his header from close range clatter off the crossbar.

Colorado came close to taking the lead just before the break when Dillon Powers raided forward into the box, but he drove his effort just wide of the post.

In the second half, the Rapids pressed again as Luis Solignac and Powers played a neat one-two before the forward teed up Gabriel Torres on the edge of the box, but his strike went wide.

The home side did take the lead as the visitors failed to clear their lines from a cross and Pittinari was alert to hook the ball past David Ousted.

Powers had the opportunity to double his side's lead when he lined up a strike from 25 yards, but Ousted managed to tip the effort over the bar.

Substitute Pedro Morales thought that he had scored an equaliser for the Whitecaps when he curled a free kick past Irwin, only to see his effort ruled out for pushing in the wall.

Vancouver upped the ante late in the game, but the Rapids were resilient at the back to claim the three points.