Ten Things To Know: Colorado Rapids vs. San Jose Earthquakes
Our Rapids play-by-play announcer, Richard Fleming, is renowned for being detailed in his preparation when calling MLS games, and he is offering us a little insight into some of his pregame notes.
Find below some things you may find useful ahead of this week's game at home to San Jose Earthquakes. We have coverage on Altitude and AltitudeNOW from 6.30pm this Wednesday.
- You have to go back to June 15, 2013 for the last time the Colorado Rapids lost at home to San Jose Earthquakes. The Rapids were beaten 2-1, having been forced to play most of the game with 10 men after Atiba Harris was sent off after just 18 minutes. Sam Cronin scored the Quakes’ winner.
- Among the San Jose starters for that most recent win at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park was Steven Beitashour, who joined the Rapids on Saturday.
- Beitashour’s most recent game in MLS came against the Rapids in the final game of the 2019 regular season. The defender came on for the final 20 minutes, in place of Walker Zimmermann in a 3-1 home win for LAFC.
- The last of Beitashour's five MLS goals to date came for LAFC at San Jose Earthquakes on March 30, 2019. LAFC won 5-0.
- The Rapids and then-named San Jose Clash were among the MLS originals in 1996. The teams met four times in that inaugural season, and the Clash came out on top on all four occasions.
- Chris Wondolowski has scored 12 of his MLS record 163 goals against the Rapids, with eight of those at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park. This is only bettered by the 14 he has scored against Vancouver Whitecaps. His goal earlier this month in the 1-1 tie at Earthquakes Stadium was his first against the Rapids since 2016.
- Wondolowski scored for the visitors when these two teams met on the same date in 2009. Conor Casey equalized with a stoppage-time penalty. He had leveled from the spot in stoppage-time at San Jose five days earlier. Both games ended 1-1.
- The Quakes have struggled since emerging from the Orlando bubble. In seven games, they have gone 0-4-3, scoring just seven times while leaking 23.
- So tight is the Western Conference that a third win in four games for the Rapids could lift them from sixth to fourth in the standings. Defeat could see them drop three places to ninth, and outside of the playoff places.
- Sam Vines would make his 40th MLS appearance if he plays on Wednesday. Vines’s MLS debut came at San Jose at the end of the 2018 season. If fit, defender Danny Wilson could make his 50th appearance. Jonathan Lewis will mark his 60th regular season game if he sees minutes.
