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Silva's brace helps United down Rapids

Aug 18, 2014 - 2:02 AM Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Luis Silva scored a goal in each half to lead D.C. United to a 4-2 win over the struggling Colorado Rapids at RFK Stadium on Sunday.

Silva opened the scoring after 12 minutes, but had his goal canceled out in the 52nd by a wonderful strike from the Rapids Dillon Serna.

However, Silva found the net once more in the 67th, while Chris Rolfe and Fabian Espindola each added another goal to clinch the win for United, which moves to within two points of Eastern Conference leaders Sporting Kansas City.

Colorado pulled a goal back in stoppage time through Deshorn Brown, but it wasn't enough to prevent the club from losing for the fourth straight match.

The Rapids hurt themselves in the 12th minute with a giveaway in midfield that allowed Taylor Kemp to release Silva into the penalty area. The forward then cut the ball back to elude a defender and he curled his shot around goalkeeper Clint Irwin and inside the right post.

United goalkeeper Bill Hamid was called upon late in the half when Brown set up Vicente Sanchez with a great chance from seven yards that forced Hamid to tip the ball past the upright.

However, Hamid helped the Rapids level the contest in the 52nd when his clearance went straight to Colorado's Jared Watts, who headed the ball to Serna for a half volley from 35 yards that caught the United goalkeeper off his line.

From there, the hosts took over the match and Espindola saw his chip strike the crossbar before Silva put United in front in the 67th with a first-time shot from Sean Franklin's pass.

Kemp collected his second assist of the evening nine minutes from time when he squared the ball to Rolfe inside the box, allowing the forward to slid in and redirect a shot inside the right post.

Espindola took advantage of some sloppy defending from the Rapids to make it 4-1 in the 86th, while Brown netted a consolation tally in stoppage time for the visitors.