Rapids Move to First Place with Win Over Quakes

Rapids Move to First Place With Win Over Quakes by Chris Brown

October 13th, 2016 – Colorado Rapids entertained San Jose Earthquakes in a Thursday night matchup with huge importance to both clubs.

Colorado is still in the hunt for the Supporter’s Shield and tonight’s match was the Rapids final game in hand, meaning that after tonight Colorado will have played the same amount of games as FC Dallas and being just two points behind the league leaders coming into the match, had a chance to leap over Dallas in the table.

For San Jose, anything less than a win means that they will miss the 2016 MLS Cup playoffs, currently sitting 6 points behind Sporting KC in the final Western Conference playoff spot.

These two sides have already met twice prior in the 2016 season. The first match was played on match day one when Colorado was beaten 1-0 at Avaya Stadium courtesy of a second half header from Chris Wondolowski. The second meeting occurred almost a month ago when the two teams battled to a 0-0 draw in Colorado.

Sam Cronin was missing from the lineup as the captain is serving a one match ban for yellow card accumulation.

Kevin Doyle made his return to the Colorado side after missing time with an ankle injury, though Badji remained up top for Colorado and Doyle slotted in behind the striker. Marlon Hairston was missing in action though pre-match he was expected to play, no explanation was given for the late scratch.

For Dom Kinner’s side, injuries have mounted as the season has reached its final stages. San Jose are without Stewart, Colvey, Goodson, Sherrod, Pelosi and most recently have lost Quincy Amarikwa for the season following an ACL, LCL tear.

As the match began it looked like Colorado would play somewhere between their normal 4-2-3-1 and a 4-4-1-1 hybrid with Kevin Doyle playing in the 10 spot but also moving forward to compliment Badji as a striker just behind the Senegalese attacker. With Doyle’s pedigree and exceptional vision the move made sense as a way to neutralize San Jose’s 4-4-2 formation.

Neither side took control of the match in the early stages as both sides probed looking for a weakness. The teams exchanged early corners but nothing came of them and a 16th minute free kick in a dangerous area for San Jose came to nothing as Anibal Godoy sent the ball in over the end line.

The first real shot on goal didn’t come until the 21st minute. Chris Wondolowski received the ball just outside the penalty box and turned and fired. The shot was easily saved by Tim Howard. All of Wondo’s 11 goals in 2016 have come from inside the penalty area.

Colorado won a corner in the 36th minute and Shkelzen Gashi sent in a lovely in curling free kick to the back post. Jared Watts found himself virtually unmarked on the far post but sent his header over the crossbar, wasting a golden opportunity for the Rapids to take the lead.

38th minute Colorado was pressing down the left wing. Marc Burch passed the ball in to Dominique Badji on the edge of the area, attracting attention from two Earthquake defenders. Badji squared the ball back on to Burch on the wing and the defender sent in a first time cross, picking out the near post run of Kevin Doyle. The cross was sweetly struck and Doyle dove to meet the ball, sending a screaming header past David Bingham for the opening goal of the match.

In the 45th minute Kevin Doyle won the ball on the wing and found Gashi with acres of space in the middle of the park. Gashi spotted the diagonal run of Badji and sent the forward clean through on David Bingham’s goal. Bingham came out to block and Badji rounded him and sent a scuffed shot on goal. The ball bounced slowly toward goal as Victor Beardez met it on the goal line. It appeared to everyone in the stadium that the ball crossed the goal line and should have been a goal, but it wasn’t awarded by referee Robert Sibiga, who was in an excellent position and seemed to have a good view.

The first half ended with Colorado leading a goal to zero. After a tame opening half hour Colorado was the much better team for the final 15 minutes of the first half.

The Earthquakes made their first change of the match at halftime taking off Tommy Thompson and bringing on Henok Goitom.

In the 49th minute San Jose had a great chance to level the match. After Kevin Doyle gave up a free kick who six yards outside the penalty area a rehearsed free kick was sent in on goal. The ball seemed to slip through or under the Rapid wall, surprising Tim Howard. Howard blocked the shot but the rebound landed at the feet of Fatai Alashe who scooped the rebound over the Rapid goal from close distance.

In the 55th minute San Jose got Wondolowski the ball in the box but the forward was shut down by Eric Miller and lskdjflsdkfjdjf The trio wrestled for the ball and as Wondo, Miller and Watts went for the ball Miller appeared to trip over Wondolowski, who also went down. A penalty was awarded to San Jose. Watching the replay the decision seemed extremely harsh.

Chris Wondolowski stepped up to take the penalty and converted past Tim Howard to the bottom left corner of the Colorado goal, evening the match at a goal a piece.

Colorado appeared galvanized by conceding and pushed men forward in search of the lead, creating several opportunities but failing to capitalize.

In the 71st minute Michael Azira found Kevin Doyle in space at the top of nd no the box an no one came out to close the Irish International down. Doyle turned and fired a wicked shot to the top right corner of the Earthquake goal forcing David Bingham to make an amazing save at full stretch, pushing the ball behind for a corner.

On the corner Dillon Powers and Alashe got tangled up and Dillon Powers went down, though fairly easily and Colorado was awarded a penalty.

Again, the decision seemed harsh from the referee. There were murmurs that the call was a make up for the soft penalty given against Colorado, but the reason for the call seemed closer to referee Sibiga calling the game evenly.

Kevin Doyle stepped up to take the penalty and shot powerfully to Bingham’s left, scoring his second goal of the match, his sixth of the season, and giving Colorado the lead again.

In the moments that followed Colorado had several chances to extend their lead. Caleb Calvert had a chance to take a shot first time but took a touch and was closed down by Bingham, and Sebastien Le Toux saw a wide open chance spoiled in the split second at the end of his wind up.

San Jose needed two goals to keep their playoff hopes alive and threw everything forward in the final 15 minutes of play.

Colorado held on late, bringing Dennis Castillo on for Kevin Doyle and parking the bus. When the final whistle blew the Rapids players threw their hands in the air knowing they were back in first place in the Supporter’s Shield Standings.

With two games to go Colorado controls their own destiny. On Sunday they play the Timbers in Portland and then come home to finish the regular season against Houston Dynamo. The Rapids schedule seems easy compared to the schedule FC Dallas have to play, Seattle and LA Galaxy.