The Colorado Rapids won in dramatic fashion over the LA Galaxy in their midweek qualifying game for the 2009 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup at The Home Depot Center. Goalkeeper Preston Burpo stopped a second penalty kick, lifting the Rapids to victory.

Colorado eliminates Los Angeles for the second consecutive year in a U.S. Open Cup play-in match. The Rapids now await the winner of the Real Salt Lake vs. Seattle Sounders FC match scheduled for April 28 for the opportunity to reach the Round of 16.

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the U.S. Soccer Federation's National Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. It is the oldest annual team tournament in U.S. sports history and among the oldest soccer tournaments of its type in the world.

The top six MLS teams from 2008 qualified for the Open Cup, while the Rapids and the other seven American teams in MLS are forced to go through qualifying to reach the tournament.