Sporting Kansas City downs Colorado Rapids with second-half barrage

Sporting Kansas City used a dominant offensive and defensive effort to defeat the visiting Colorado Rapids 4-0 Saturday night at Children's Mercy Park.

Sporting K.C. got second-half goals from Alan Pulido, Andreu Fontas, Gadi Kinda and Gerso Fernandes.

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SKC (10-6-3, 33 points) didn't allow a Colorado shot until the 76th minute. They now sit in first place in the Western Conference, a point ahead of idle Seattle and Portland.

After dominating the action in a scoreless first half, Kansas City finally got on the board in the 54th minute. Pulido, who missed the last four matches while away with the Mexican national team, right-footed a shot from just outside the box.

Roger Espinoza found Pulido inside the box. Pulido dribbled around a couple of defenders before firing it past keeper William Yarbrough.

Fontas then put SKC up 2-0 in the 67th minute. Johnny Russell sent a free kick into the box and found Pulido in traffic close to the net. Pulido headed it to Fontas, who picked it out of the air with his left foot and fired it past Yarbrough. It was Fontas' first goal in 17 career MLS matches.

Kinda added a goal in the 88th minute, and Gerso scored in stoppage time.

It was the first match since Sept. 23 for the Rapids (5-5-4, 19 points), who had their last five matches postponed due to COVID-19. They have played only 14 matches, by far the fewest in MLS. Colorado came in riding two straight shutout victories, but with more than a month between starts there was no momentum.

The first half ended in a scoreless tie, but Sporting K.C. let multiple scoring opportunities get away. SKC played on the front foot most of the half with 10 shots and four shots on goal, but couldn't get one past Yarbrough, who finished with eight saves.