Rapidly improving Fire tops champs

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Updated: November 4, 2011 12:20PM

Maybe the Fire’s chances of reaching the Major League Soccer playoffs aren’t so far-fetched after all.

After having only two wins and a league-record 15 ties to show for the first 24 games of the season, the Fire now has its first two-game winning streak in 16 months and a four-game unbeaten run to boot. Saturday’s 2-0 win over the defending-champion Colorado Rapids at Toyota Park was the Fire’s best performance of the season, but technical director and interim coach Frank Klopas downplayed its significance.

‘‘It’s just one game,’’ he said. ‘‘We’re not satisfied.’’

The Fire (4-7-15) jumped to a 2-0 first-half lead despite allowing the Rapids (10-7-11) six corner kicks. The Fire didn’t earn any corners in the first 45 minutes, but Pavel Pardo made up for that. The Mexican midfielder assisted on both goals.

On the first in the 17th minute, his long ball sprung Dominic Oduro down the right side. Oduro outraced Colorado defender Marvell Wynne before firing a shot past former Fire goalkeeper Matt Pickens.

Pardo started the second scoring play in the 36th minute with a pass to Argentine midfielder Sebastian Grazzini, who then sent a cross to defender Cory Gibbs, who scored on a header.

Pardo left the game at halftime complaining of a sore calf.

‘‘Confidence was the key,’’ said Oduro, who has a team-leading nine goals after being acquired in a trade during the first month of the season. ‘‘Confidence makes everything happen. We’re really confident now, and we’re playing well.’’

Grazzini, Pardo and defender Dan Gargan were late-season pickups by Klopas, and the Fire is 2-0-2 since they entered the starting 11 together. Grazzini, who had struggled with his fitness since joining the Fire, played the full 90 minutes for the first time against Colorado.

With 27 points in 26 matches, the Fire has only eight matches left to get into playoff position. The playoff bid will be put on hold this week, though, as the Fire hosts a Tuesday match against the minor-league Richmond Kickers in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup. The Fire has won that Cup four times.

‘‘It’s something we take very seriously,’’ said Klopas. ‘‘We have a big opportunity to put ourselves in position to win another championship.’’