Colorado Rapids vs. San Jose Earthquakes | 2016 MLS Match Preview

COLORADO RAPIDS vs. SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park | Commerce City, Colorado
Thursday, Oct. 13 | Week #32 | MLS Game #320
9 pm ET (MLS LIVE, Altitude, CSN-CA)

It's a massive match in the Western Conference playoff race when the Colorado Rapids entertain the San Jose Earthquakes on Thursday evening at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The Rapids return home following a second consecutive win that kept them firmly in the hunt for the Supporters' Shield as holders of the best regular-season record for the season, after their 3-2 win at the Houston Dynamo last weekend. The Quakes are desperately holding onto playoff survival, staying alive in the chase for a top six position in the West after a 2-1 home win against Real Salt Lake last time out at Avaya Stadium.

• The Rapids won their second consecutive match and extended their overall undefeated streak to five games, following their 3-2 win against the Houston Dynamo on Saturday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. Dominique Badji scored a pair of goals and Shkelzen Gashi added the third – they each have three goals over the last three games.
• The Quakes put an end to a seven-game winless run – their first victory since Aug. 12 – in the 2-1 win against Real Salt Lake on Oct. 1. The victory also put an end to a five-game winless streak at home, their longest since the 2014 season.
• The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Chris Wondolowski scored the game’s lone goal as the Earthquakes took the victory in the season opener for both clubs, March 6 at Avaya Stadium; the teams reached a goalless draw Sept. 17 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
• The Quakes have a 14-game undefeated streak alive vs. the Rapids. The Rapids last defeated San Jose in the first meeting in the 2011 season; the Quakes have won seven of the 14 meetings since, with seven draws.
• Each of the last four meetings at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park have ended in draws. The Quakes have won the last two meetings at Avaya Stadium, both by 1-0 scorelines. San Jose has not conceded a home goal to Colorado since a 1-1 draw on May 18, 2013, a span of 424 scoreless minutes for the Rapids in the Bay Area.

REFEREE: Robert Sibiga. AR1 (bench): Corey Rockwell; AR2 (opposite): Richard Gamache; 4th: Younes Marrakchi
MLS Career: 20 games; FC/gm: 23.6; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 5; pens: 4

SUSPENDED: COL: Sam Cronin (caution accumulation; through Oct. 13)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: COL: Axel Sjoberg, Marc Burch, Dominique Badji -- SJ: Anibal Godoy, Jordan Stewart
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: COL: Jermaine Jones, Mekeil Williams -- SJ: Fatai Alashe, Darwin Ceren, Shaun Francis
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (61 meetings): Rapids 18 wins (2 shootout), 71 goals -- Earthquakes 28 wins (1 shootout), 87 goals -- Ties 14
AT COLORADO (31 meetings): Rapids 10 wins (1 shootout), 36 goals -- Earthquakes 13 wins (0 shootout), 37 goals -- Ties 8

2016 (MLS):
3/6: SJ 1, COL 0 (Wondolowski 46)
9/17: COL 0, SJ 0

• Coaches record: Dominic Kinnear vs. COL: P31 W13 L8 D10 -- Pablo Mastroeni vs. SJ: P7 W0 L2 D5

LAST MEETING (MLS):

• Rapids goalkeeper Tim Howard made three saves in keeping the clean sheet, his brilliant kick save from a Fatai Alashe just before halftime stopping what was the best scoring opportunity for either side.
• Quakes goalkeeper David Bingham was credited with two saves for the shutout.
• COLORADO RAPIDS (4-2-3-1): Tim Howard - Eric Miller, Jared Watts, Axel Sjoberg, Marc Burch - Sam Cronin (Caleb Calvert 83), Micheal Azira - Marlon Hairston (Marco Pappa 90), Dillon Powers, Sebastien Le Toux (Shkelzen Gashi 63) - Dominique Badji.
• SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (4-4-1-1): David Bingham - Marvell Wynne, Victor Bernardez, Andres Imperiale, Jordan Stewart - Cordell Cato (Quincy Amarikwa 73), Fatai Alashe, Darwin Ceren, Alberto Quintero (Shea Salinas 58) - Simon Dawkins (Tommy Thompson 84) - Chris Wondolowski.