Next Up: Colorado Rapids

Last Game vs. Colorado Rapids

Earthquakes 4, Colorado Rapids 1; Oct. 6, 2012; Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo.

Chris Wondolowski tallied a hat trick in the Earthquakes’ 4-1 win against the Colorado Rapids. The trio of goals also moved the iconic striker past Ronald Cerritos for the club’s all-time goal-scoring record with 62. Despite playing on the road at altitude on a frigid Denver night, the Earthquakes bolted out of the gate for a dominant performance. They didn’t wait long to open the scoring as Marvin Chavez slammed home a ball laid off by Wondolowski from the edge of the area in the second minute. The goal was Chavez’s second of the season. Wondolowski accounted for San Jose’s final three goals for his second hat trick and sixth multi-goal game of the season. His first came in the 11th minute as Chavez sprung Rafael Baca down the left sideline before the second-year midfielder placed a cross inside the Rapids’ 6-yard box. Wondolowski was waiting on the doorstep and chested in a 2-0 lead. The Danville native doubled his haul early in the second half, pounding a shot on target that deflected off a Colorado defender and into the goal. After Alan Gordon drew crossbar with a shot in the 62nd minute, Wondolowski went ahead and capped his hat trick in the 83rd. Sam Cronin threaded the needle to find the Budweiser Golden Boot leader open behind Colorado’s back line before Wondolowski turned and fired for his 25th goal of the season. The Rapids scored their goal in the 92nd minute after Jason Hernandez was whistled for a foul in the area. Hernandez received a red card for the infraction and Andre Akpan netted the spot kick to round out the 4-1 result.

Scoring:

COL: Andre Akpan (Unassisted), 92.

SJ: Marvin Chavez (Unassisted), 2; Chris Wondolowski (Rafael Baca, Marvin Chavez), 11; Chris Wondolowski (Unassisted), 51; Chris Wondolowski (Sam Cronin), 83. 

LINEUPS

COL: Pickens (Beus, 69), Moor, Freeman (Hill, 45), Zapata, Wynne, Thomas, Rivero, Mullan, Larentowicz (Cascio, 45), Cummings, Akpan

SJ: Busch, Beitashour, Hernandez, Corrales, Morrow, Chavez (Stephenson, 84), Baca, Cronin, Wondolowski, Lenhart (Alexandre, 88), Gordon (Salinas, 67)

Colorado Rapids Scouting Report

Colorado (4-4-3, 15 pts.) enters Buck Shaw Stadium fourth in the Western Conference. After missing the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2012, the Rapids have added a few new pieces, including rookies Deshorn Brown and Dillon Powers, former LA Galaxy target man Edson Buddle and veteran forward Atiba Harris. The group has contributed to an improved start to Colorado’s 2013 campaign with Brown, Buddle and Powers leading the squad with two goals apiece. In their last outing, Colorado knocked off the Columbus Crew 2-0 on the road. Buddle and Powers netted the goals while goalkeeper Clint Irwin made seven saves for his fourth clean sheet of the season.

History of the Earthquakes-Rapids Rivalry

The two teams played for the first time in 1996 and the Quakes swept the four-game season series, outscoring Colorado 9-3 in the process … In 1997 Colorado won three of four and swept the Quakes in two games at San Jose … Colorado dominated again in 1998 and had a memorable win at Stanford where they edged the Earthquakes 4-3 in penalty kicks … The Earthquakes returned the favor and beat Colorado 4-3 in penalty kicks in the first match of 1999 and they split the season series 2-2 … 2000 saw the teams split the series again with the Earthquakes winning the first two meetings … on August 25, 2001 the Earthquakes scored three goals in four minutes for their second win of the year against the Rapids. Manny Lagos scored his second goal of the match on an assist from Junior Agogo. Two minutes later Landon Donovan scored on an assist from Ian Russell. Then in the 40th minute Donovan assisted Agogo for the fourth goal. The Quakes added one more and then cruised to a 5-2 victory … In 2002 the teams split the series … In 2003 the Quakes opened the season at Colorado and Brian Ching scored 53 seconds into the match and theQuakes were victorious 2-1 … 2004 began an unbeaten streak in which the Earthquakes did not lose to the Rapids from 2004-2010. The Quakes were 8-0-4 during thestreak before losing 1-0 on August 7, 2010 … The two teams met again in the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals, but the Rapids beat the Quakes 1-0 on their way to winning the MLS Cup … The Quakes were unable to beat the Rapids last year, with the Rapids defeating the Quakes 2-1 on August 13, 2011 at Buck Shaw Stadium, and the sides tying 1-1 on September 24, 2011 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park … The Earthquakes swept their three games vs. Colorado in 2012, outscoring the Rapids 10-3 in the process.

Earthquakes - Colorado Rapids Connections

Rapids midfielder Pablo Mastroeni played briefly in 1998with Quakes midfielder Ramiro Corrales for the Miami Fusion and on the U.S.National Team with Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch on March 9, 2005 against Colombia … Earthquakes midfielder Brad Ring (2005-08) and Rapids defender Drew Moor (2003-04) attended the University of Indiana … Rapids goalkeeper Matt Pickens played with Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch in 2007 with Chicago ... Rapids midfielder Brian Mullan played with the Earthquakes from 2003-05 and playedwith Chris Wondolowski in Houston from 2006-09 … Rapids forward Edson Buddle was the runner-up to Wondolowski in the 2010 Budweiser Golden Boot race as a member of the LA Galaxy … Buddle was a teammate of Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch with the Columbus Crew from 2002-05 … Earthquakes defender Nana Attakora and Buddle played for Toronto FC in 2007 … Buddle also played with Earthquakes forward Alan Gordon from 2007-10 for the LA Galaxy … Earthquakes midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy played for the Rapids from 2007-10, notching seven goals and 18 assists in 77 appearances … Earthquakes defender Dan Gargan began his career with the Colorado Rapids as a fourth round pick in the 2005 MLS Supplemental Draft; Gargan had three assists in 49 appearances from 2005-08 … Gargan played with Rapids forward Atiba Harris for Chivas USA in 2008 … Harris also played alongside Earthquakes midfielder Shea Salinas for Vancouver Whitecaps FC in2011 and Earthquakes midfielder Marvin Chavez for FC Dallas in 2009 and 2010 … Both Harris and Ballouchy started their careers with Real Salt Lake in 2006, playing two years with the Utah squad before parting ways … Earthquakes forward Adam Jahn and Rapids defender Kory Kindle area both from the Sacramento area … San Jose defender Justin Morrow and Colorado midfielder Dillon Powers are both Notre Dame alumni … Earthquakes players Walter Martinez, Victor Bernardez and Marvin Chavez and Rapids midfielder Hendry Thomas have each represented theHonduran national team … Chavez and Rapids defender Drew Moor played together for FC Dallas in 2009 … Moor, Salinas and Earthquakes midfielder Sam Garza each grew up in the Dallas area.

Earthquakes All-Time Leaders vs. Colorado Rapids

Forward Chris Wondolowski has seven goals and one assist in 12 games against … Forward Alan Gordon has five goals in 16 games … Defender Ramiro Corrales has five assists in 34 games … Midfielder Marvin Chavez has one goal and four assists in eight games … Goalkeeper Jon Busch is 7-7-4 with three shutouts in 18 games.

Colorado Rapids All-Time Leaders vs. Earthquakes

Forward Edson Buddle has nine goals in 16 games … Midfielder Nick LaBrocca has one goal and one assist in 10 games … Midfielder Pablo Mastroeni has two assists in 22 games.