Drew Moor scored in extra time and Colorado beat the Portland Timbers 1-0 on Saturday night, snapping the Rapids' Major League Soccer-record draws streak at six.
Moor beat goalkeeper Troy Perkins in a close-in scramble from for the ball in the 90th minute.
''It was a goal-mouth scramble of a lifetime,'' Moor said.
The goal came shortly after Timbers coach John Spencer was ejected from the game for arguing with the officials.
The Rapids (5-3-7) are undefeated in nine straight matches. The Timbers (5-6-2) have lost three straight, including two in a row at Jeld-Wen Field.
Portland wore ''Rose City Red'' kits at home for the first time, but it did not help the Timbers overcome the determined Rapids.
''We played well, but we needed to complete the game, not turn off,'' Portland defender Eric Brunner said.
Perkins finished with six saves. Colorado's Matt Pickens had four.
The teams kept both goalkeepers busy.
Perkins dove to save Jeff Larentowicz's kick from out in front in the 11th minute, and made another diving save to deflect Jamie Smith's shot from about 30 yards out in the 18th minute.
The Timbers came close in the 29th minute when Kalif Alhassan's shot skimmed the crossbar. Portland was stung a short time later when defender Futty Danso hurt his left shoulder and had to be carried off the field. He was replaced by David Horst.
Danso, who has two goals in nine matches this season, was taken to a hospital for further evaluation. The team later announced that he had a minor shoulder injury and would miss two to three weeks.
Portland had another good chance in the 35th minute when Jorge Perlaza brought the ball downfield alone, but his shot from about 15 yards out when right of the goal.
Pickens deflected a kick by Portland forward Kenny Cooper, then watched as a Diego Chara's left-footed rocket sailed just right.
''It was an extremely even affair,'' Colorado coach Gary Smith said.
There was a minor dustup between the two teams in the 68th minute, with Chara getting a yellow card for a hard foul on Colorado defender Tyrone Marshall.
Moor's goal was his second of the season.
''I was just trying to put it in goal,'' he said. ''I was tired.''
That turned out to be a theme. Spencer continued to lash out at officials after the match, suggesting the game referee called ''innocuous fouls because he was tired.''
The Timbers, an expansion club, opened their inaugural MLS season against the Rapids, falling 3-1 in Colorado. Cooper scored the lone goal for Portland.
''Very different team than we faced at the beginning of the season,'' Moor said.
Colorado striker Omar Cummings was still sidelined with a sprained right ankle that he sustained in the Rapids' 2-1 win at Houston on May 4. Cummings returned to practice this past week and is expected to return on June 18 when the Rapids host the Galaxy.
Colorado's Brian Mullan continues to serve a 10-game suspension for a tackle of Seattle's Steve Zukani on April 22. Zukani's leg was fractured in two places.
The Rapids finished 1-all against Philadelphia last Saturday night. That put their streak at six straight draws, longest ever for a regular season in MLS. San Jose has six consecutive draws over the course of two seasons in 2004 and 2005.
''All in all I think we've played well in some tough circumstances,'' Smith said.
The Timbers are coming off back-to-back losses, at home to D.C. United and at Chivas USA. Portland was 5-0 at home until a 3-2 loss to D.C. United on May 29.
