COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – The Colorado Rapids finally broke out of their losing streak on Saturday, but they failed to gain any real traction in the playoff race with a 1-1 draw against the visiting San Jose Earthquakes.
San Jose forward Chris Wondolowski scored his team-high 11th goal of the season before the break and Rapids defender Drew Moor equalized in the 71st minute in a rematch of two teams struggling lately to muster the same results that led them both into last year’s Eastern Conference Championship.
The Rapids (10-9-12) are now winless in their last five matches and still in the second wild card spot, but they’re just three points ahead of the 10th and final postseason berth.
The draw was equally frustrating for the Earthquakes (6-11-13), who are winless in their last three games and eight points out of the postseason race with just four games remaining on their schedule.
Wondolowski opened the scoring when he was first to a rebound after Rapids goalkeeper Matt Pickens failed to hold a long distance shot from Khari Stephenson. He nearly added another in the 35th minute, but Pickens steered his breakaway chance away before hollering at the Rapids’ back line that had let the reigning Golden Boot winner loose in the first place.
The Rapids’ defense made up for their miscues in the second half, however, when Moor pounced on the ball during a goalmouth scramble and scored his third goal of the season.
Rapids striker Caleb Folan nearly salvaged the win for the Rapids in the first minute of stoppage time, but San Jose goalkeeper Jon Busch somehow cleared Folan’s header off the goal line to preserve the tie.
Busch also came up with a huge reaction save on a point-blank header from Moor in the 70th minute.
Rapids captain Pablo Mastroeni also came close to picking up all three points for the home side as he ran into the penalty area in the 81st minute behind the San Jose defense, but was unable to control the pass.
The Rapids return to league play on Oct. 1 at home against FC Dallas, but first they’ll travel to El Salvador to try and keep their faint CONCACAF Champions League hopes alive against Isidro Metapán.
The Earthquakes return home to face Sporting Kansas City on Oct. 1.
Scoring Summary:
SJ -- Chris Wondolowski 11 (unassisted) 19
COL -- Drew Moor 3 (unassisted) 71
San Jose Earthquakes -- Jon Busch, Steven Beitashour, Nana Attakora (Brad Ring 30), Bobby Burling, Justin Morrow, Jacob Peterson (Joey Gjertsen 66), Rafael Baca (Maxwell Griffin 83), Ramiro Corrales, Simon Dawkins, Khari Stephenson, Chris Wondolowski.
Substitutes Not Used: Chris Leitch, Matt Luzunaris, Scott Sealy, David Bingham.
TOTAL SHOTS: 14 (3 tied with 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (Chris Wondolowski 2); FOULS: 14 (4 tied with 2); OFFSIDES: 4 (Chris Wondolowski 2); CORNER KICKS: 6 (Jacob Peterson 6); SAVES: 5 (Jon Busch 5)
Colorado Rapids -- Matt Pickens, Kosuke Kimura, Marvell Wynne, Drew Moor, Miguel Comminges (Wells Thompson 89), Sanna Nyassi, Jeff Larentowicz, Pablo Mastroeni, Jamie Smith (Brian Mullan 58), Omar Cummings (Macoumba Kandji 65), Caleb Folan.
Substitutes Not Used: Andre Akpan, Ross LaBauex, Tyrone Marshall, Steward Ceus.
TOTAL SHOTS: 14 (Sanna Nyassi 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 6 (Drew Moor 2, Sanna Nyassi 2); FOULS: 9 (Drew Moor 3); OFFSIDES: 8 (Omar Cummings 5); CORNER KICKS: 7 (Sanna Nyassi 7); SAVES: 3 (Matt Pickens 3)
Misconduct Summary:
SJ -- Simon Dawkins (caution; Reckless Foul) 43
SJ -- Brad Ring (caution; Reckless Foul) 52
COL -- Drew Moor (caution; Reckless Foul) 53
COL -- Caleb Folan (caution; Reckless Foul) 63
SJ -- Steven Beitashour (caution; Reckless Foul) 76
Referee: Jorge Gonzalez
Referee's Assistants: -Eric Boria; Corey Parker
4th Official: Terry Vaughn
Time of Game: 1:52
Weather: Partly Cloudy-and-82-degrees
Attendance: 17,877
