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DENVER - The Rocky Mountain Cup was like a red cape for Real Salt Lake on Wednesday.

The fan-sponsored trophy that the Colorado Rapids won last year led the teams on the field at Invesco Field at Mile High and was greeted with waves and smug smiles.

The silverware will have to make the trip back to Utah in September for the decisive fourth game of the series after RSL ran the Rapids off the field and thoroughly unraveled its rivals for a convincing 4-1 victory.

RSL (6-10-5) exploited every imaginable subplot to extend its unbeaten streak to three games and avenge a 1-0 loss to Colorado (8-8-4) earlier this month in the U.S. Open Cup.

Former Rapids striker Jeff Cunningham scored two goals - one a penalty kick - and assisted on another to Chris Klein, whom the Rapids nearly acquired in the winter from the Kansas City Wizards for goalie Joe Cannon.

And to top things off, the Rapids will be hamstrung without defenders Eric Denton (red card) and Mike Petke (yellow card accumulation) when they take on Los Angeles on Saturday.

It was everything RSL coach John Ellinger could have wanted - there was fire, conviction and plenty to celebrate.

"Don't think them parading the Rocky Mountain Cup in our faces every time we come here doesn't have something to do with it either," Ellinger said. "You can only do it so many times before it's going to come back and bite you in the butt."

Kind of like RSL goalie Scott Garlick, another former Rapids player, who made five saves for the victory.

"We were organized and difficult to break down from the start as a group, and that gave us a chance to win and gave us a chance to create opportunities," he said.

Substitute Chris Brown scored in stoppage time for RSL after Thiago Martins had made it 3-1 with a goal in the 85th minute despite Colorado playing with only nine players.

Cunningham gave RSL the lead in 25th minute when he ran on to a superb long ball from midfielder Carey Talley and rifled it past Cannon with aplomb.

The Jamaican native was unlucky not to have a hat trick by halftime as a sprawling Cannon denied him in the 17th, 37th and 44th minutes. But Cunningham would net his Major League Soccer-leading 13th goal of the season in the 76th when he converted a penalty kick.

And the rivalry that both organizations have tried to nurse since RSL's inception moved forward thanks to a series of late tackles, shoves and verbal exchanges that resulted in 23 fouls, eight yellow cards and two red cards.

It was the kind of derby victory that is sure to make Saturday's exhibition match against Real Madrid a little sweeter.

RSL 4, Colorado 1

* RSL extended its unbeaten streak to three

games.

* Former Rapids striker Jeff Cunningham scored two goals.

* Ex-Colorado goalie Scott Garlick made five saves for RSL.