KANSAS CITY, MO. (AP) -- The Colorado Rapids took a big step toward home-field advantage in the playoffs with a 2-1 win over Kansas City on Saturday night.

The winning goal for the Rapids (13-11-3) came in the 49th minute, when John Spencer put a shot in from 7 yards out. The assist from Carlos Valderrama, his 15th this year, set a franchise single-season record.

Colorado took a 1-0 lead in the 35th minute when Zach Kingsley headed in a corner from Mark Chung.

Kansas City (9-10-8) tied it four minutes later off a penalty kick. After a quick restart by Wizards forward Darrio Fabbro, Igor Simutenkov was taken down by Rapids defender Rick Titus inside the box.

Preki took the kick, putting the ball to the right of David Kramer for the equalizer.

Wizards defender Diego Gutierrez will sit out the final regular-season match with a yellow card accumulation suspension after being carded in the 13th minute.

With the win, the Rapids jumped over Dallas (11-9-7) into the final home field playoff spot with one game remaining in the regular season.

Colorado coach Tim Hankinson, in his fifth year as a coach in MLS and his third with the Rapids, emphasized to his players before the game the importance of playing the majority of the first round in Denver.

"I told them, 'If it goes to three games, do you want to play in front of your wives, children and friends, or in front of people calling you names?'''

The pressure will be on Kansas City next weekend when the Wizards travel to Colorado for their final regular season game. The team has yet to clinch a playoff spot.

Wizards coach Bob Gansler said his team had the opportunities against Colorado, but was unable to finish.

"We need to put away our chances,'' he said. "We created enough to win the game, even before Colorado scored. The people you want in the box had them, but we hit a drought.''

A problem for the Wizards on defense this season has been set pieces. Both Gansler and Hankinson said Kingsley's goal off Mark Chung was a gift for the Rapids.

"We worked on set pieces all week long,'' Gansler said. "All year, there have been different kinds of breakdowns, a variety of things with a lot of different folks involved.''