Calvin Harris scored the game-winning goal in the 71st minute of an assist from Omir Fernandez when Colorado Rapids beat San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 on Saturday night.
Fernandez carved behind the San Jose back line to set up a 2-against-1 who pulled goalkeeper Daniel from the net and gave Harris an open goal. Cole Bassett also scored for Colorado (2-0-2, 8 points), who received 12 rescues from goalkeeper Zack Steffen.
For San Jose (2-2-0, 6 points) who lost his second straight match, Cristian Arango had a goal on an assist from Cristian Espinoza.
One of Steffen’s big stop came when he turned away a dangerous chance from Josef Martinez in the 85th minute. Steffen also survived seven minutes of stop time when Colorado published his second straight victory.
Rapids took a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute on his first shot on goal. Djordje Mihailovic gathered a broad pass over the top of the earthquake defense. A centering card did not join Kevin Cabral but it ricoceted by Daniel, and when Bassett jumped up, his right foot knocked the ball in the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.
The earthquakes tied the match at 1 in the 46th minute when Espinoza’s corner found the right foot of a sliding Arango for a goal with a touch.
Just two minutes into the match, San Jose began his sustainable, first half attack. Steffen died a Martinez shot and pigeon to turn off the follow -up. In the fourth minute, it was Martinez again whose shot through heavy traffic was rejected when Steffen reached back for the rescue.
In the 26th minute, Espinoza’s shot of a restart just outside the box over a wall of Rapid’s defender in the hands of a jumping Steffen sailed.
Ousseni Bouda got his shot stopped when Steffan Dove to the right in the 60th minute. Moment later Bouda put a bounce through the ball and his shot hit the cross beam in the 61st minute.
-Field level media
