Nelson Quinones scored twice to help the Houston Dynamo find the net four times before halftime of their final home game of the regular season, a 5-1 victory over last-place Colorado on Saturday night.
Amine Bassi added his team-leading 10th goal and Corey Baird scored his eighth for Houston (13-11-9, 48 points), which has clinched its first playoff berth since 2017 but is now battling for a top-four seed and home-field advantage in the first round.
Artur added a late strike for his second goal in as many games as the Dynamo completed their home schedule with an 11th win, their highest total since posting 12 home victories in 2017. Baird also assisted Bassi's strike, and Adalberto Carrasquilla had two assists.
Cole Bassett scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season for Colorado (5-16-11, 26 points), which was in search of its first back-to-back league wins long after being eliminated from playoff contention.
His goal made it six consecutive matches in which the Rapids have scored, easily the longest such stretch of an offensively challenged season.
But after a pair of promising recent results, Colorado was outclassed from virtually the opening whistle.
Quinones opened the scoring in the third minute. Hector Herrera pushed the ball up the right flank and combined with Erik Sviatchenko and Griffin Dorsey before Dorsey hammered a sumptuous low cross across the box that Quinones met at the back post.
Bassi doubled the lead five minutes later on another well-worked team effort. After some intricate passing just above the penalty area, Carrasquilla eventually found Baird on the right side of the box. Baird hit another cross to Bassi in a similar back-post position to Quinones' opener.
Quinones added Houston's third in the 28th minute on a simpler goal, when he took a pass about four yards beyond the penalty area, surveilled his options and drove a low shot that beat the diving Marko Ilic to the bottom left corner.
Baird completed the first-half onslaught in the 41st minute on a transition opportunity, with Carrasquilla again the provider.
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