By JOSE M. ROMERO

Saturday night at home gave the Colorado Rapids a good opportunity to secure three points against the team with the worst record in their conference, and the defending MLS Cup champion took care of business.

Colorado's two goals were enough to defeat the struggling Vancouver Whitecaps, 2-1, at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The game also featured a 30-minute weather delay, as lightning and a temporary heavy rain shower struck at halftime and forced both teams into the locker rooms.

Midfielder Jamie Smith had a hand in both Rapids goals, as did forward Conor Casey. Casey gathered in a looping cross from Smith, dribbled to his right and shot in Colorado's first goal in the 25th minute. Later, Casey put a header on goal off a set piece pass from Smith. which Whitecaps goalkeeper Joe Cannon saved. The rebound came out to Scott Palguta, who put it in past a helpless Cannon with no defenders to help.

"It was probably one of the easier goals I'll ever score in my career," Palguta said of his 68th-minute goal after the game.

The Rapids needed it. The Whitecaps made it a one-goal game in the 77th minute, forward Camilo Sanvezzo making a brilliant run into the box and taking a soft tap between two Rapids defenders from Nizar Khalfan. Camilo dribbled past Rapids goalkeeper Matt Pickens, who came off his line, and converted into an open net.

Colorado made it stand, as defender Marvell Wynne, whose speed and recovery to the ball caused fits for Vancouver's attackers, thwarted a late chance and the Whitecaps couldn't equalize.

Jordan Harvey, traded to the Whitecaps earlier in the week, made his debut with his new team at left back and played noticeably well. The Whitecaps had a chance to take an early lead when midfielder Gershon Koffie tried a long shot in the third minute that Pickens had to leap for to save.

Cannon saved his team a few times, stopping shots by Jeff Larentowicz in the 10th minute and Smith in the 90th.

The Rapids had several tries go wide, including two connections between Casey and fellow forward Omar Cummings. The two have long been among the best forward tandems in MLS, and had chances to team up for a goal but didn't finish them.

Palguta came on for starting midfielder Danny Earls in the 22nd minute, Earls leaving the match with a deep thigh bruise.

Colorado improved to 6-5-9 with just its second win in the past 12 MLS games, and remained firmly in the middle of the pack in the West while Vancouver lost its fourth straight league match and fell to 2-10-8.