COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – For a full 90 minutes, it looked as if the Colorado Rapids were quickly taking on water at a rainy Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. However, a stoppage time equalizer from Colorado native James Riley salvaged a point, leveling the score in Friday night’s 1-1 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes.
But despite salvaging a point, Colorado extended its home winless streak to 11 games, an MLS record. Conversely, San Jose earned their fifth point of an eight-day, three-game road trip in the result.
The game served as a reunion with familiar faces taking on their former teams. Two former Rapids, winger Sanna Nyassi and defender Marvell Wynne both appeared in the starting 11 in their return to Colorado. Rapids defensive midfielder Sam Cronin made his first start against his former club since being traded from San Jose this past offseason.
Nyassi helped the Earthquakes threaten early, sending service into the box in the 11th minute, forcing a string of saves from Rapids goalkeeper Clint Irwin.
Minutes later, San Jose would be rewarded with the 1-0 lead on the heels of Chris Wondolowski’s goal in the 19th minute. In the face of Irwin, Wondolowski calmly settled Shea Salinas’ corner to send in the clean finish.
The goal was Wondolowski’s 98th in Major League Soccer, inching the 32-year-old closer to the coveted century mark.
San Jose looked poised to extend their lead, with Salinas earning a free kick at the edge of the box in the 26th minute on a tackle that earned a yellow card. The ensuing effort went wide of the mark, however. Quakes midfielder Tommy Thompson nearly found a goal in the 30th minute, but the effort was deflected by Irwin.
Colorado nearly earned the equalizer in the 43rd minute when a streaking Dillon Powers cut through the center of San Jose’s defense, dishing the ball to Gabriel Torres. ‘Quakes goalkeeper David Bingham timed his movement just right however, denying the opportunity.
Torres returned the favor a minute later, but the shot by Powers sputtered straight into the hands of Bingham, which allowed the visitors to preserve their lead into the break.
Colorado continued to press hard for the equalizer in the second half, with Rapids head coach Pablo Mastroeni putting in the fresh legs of Vicente Sanchez in exchange for rookie Dominique Badji at the start of the second stanza.
Sanchez nearly delivered in the 65th minute, taking a shot from the top of the box which forced Bingham to deflect wide. About 20 minutes later, substitute Charles Eloundou blazed a gilt-edged chance from Powers over the goal.
Colorado finally found the equalizer in the third minute of extra time, with Riley floating a header into the back of San Jose’s net to even the score at 1-1. Colorado looked to salvage a victory with the referee’s watch ticking down, and came close several times in the game's dying moments, but were unable to find a winner in the five minutes of added time.
Colorado will have to wait two weeks for another crack at their first home win of the season, taking to the road next Saturday against Sporting Kansas City. Having concluded their road spell, the Earthquakes will have a full week to prepare for next Saturday’s return to Avaya Stadium against the Columbus Crew SC.
