Marco Pappa leads Sounders past Rapids, Galaxy top RSL, Timbers win

Marco Pappa scored in the 16th minute to lift the Seattle Sounders to a 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday night, moving them into first place in the Western Conference.

Pappa's goal was his first of the season for the Sounders and also his first since scoring last Oct. 25.

Goalkeeper Stefan Frei earned his league-leading seventh shutout and his third in a row. Seattle has not allowed a goal at home for 380 minutes, dating back to a 3-2 loss to San Jose on March 14.

The Rapids have been blanked in half of their 12 games this season.

Pappa put the Sounders on the board just as the clock ticked into the 16th minute. A cross into the box from the right side by Seattle's Cristian Roldan was cleared out.

Pappa picked up the loose ball just to the left of the arc, took two steps toward the top of the penalty area, and curled a right-footer around Colorado goalkeeper Clint Irwin and into the back right corner.

Juninho scored on a penalty kick early in the first half as the LA Galaxy beat Real Salt Lake 1-0 on Wednesday night to extend the Galaxy's home unbeaten streak to 23 games.

Juninho caught goalkeeper Nick Rimando diving the wrong way on a penalty kick in the seventh minute. RSL was whistled for an unlucky hand ball in the penalty area when the ball bounced off Jamison Olave's stabilizing hand during a slide.

Los Angeles had a few quality chances in the second half. Ignacio Maganto's breakaway cross to Alan Gordon at the back post was intercepted by Rimando in the 55th minute. Gyasi Zardes sailed a header from inside the 6-yard box in the 56th and Maganto skied an open shot in the 67th.

Olave was given a red card in second-half stoppage time for Real Salt Lake after a rough challenge of Robbie Keane. Keane entered as a second-half substitute for the second straight game after missing seven consecutive matches due to an injury.

Captain Will Johnson returned to Portland's lineup to help the Timbers beat Eastern Conference-leading D.C. United 1-0 on Wednesday night.

Johnson missed the first 12 games of the season while recovering from a broken right leg suffered on Sept. 27. He played 84 minutes before being substituted out.

Maximiliano Urruti scored the lone goal in the fifth minute. Gaston Fernandez jumped on a loose ball on the right wing and sent a hard, rolling cross into the box for Urruti to bang home for his second goal of the season.

Portland threatened to extend the lead on a few occasions, but D.C. goalkeeper Bill Hamid made several fine saves, most notably on a sizzling shot by Darion Asprilla in the 71st minute and on Alvas Powell's header in the 81st.

United's best opportunity came in the 31st minute, when a corner kick by Markus Halsti found an unguarded Steve Birnbaum in the area, but the defender's header went wide of the goal.