The Colorado Rapids visit the San Jose Earthquakes in search of their second straight road win on Saturday night in California.
Rafael Navarro is off to a red-hot start for the Rapids (1-0-2, 5 points) with three goals – good for a share of second place in all of MLS. The Brazilian forward has found the back of the net in consecutive games, which includes his two-goal effort in a 3-3 tie March 1 at Dallas. He’s Colorado’s most prolific shooter as well with eight shots, four of which were on frame.
Djordje Mihailovic and Oliver Larraz each have a pair of assists, which puts them in a tie for fifth in the league.
The Rapids knocked off Austin FC 1-0 last Saturday when Mihailovic’s pass leaked through two defenders to set up Navarro’s first-half goal. The Rapids’ defense proved stout the rest of the game with 18 clearances that kept Austin FC at bay. Rapids goalie Zack Steffen recorded four saves in his second shutout of the season.
With Reggie Cannon (groin), Jackson Travis (hand) and Sam Vines (thigh) out with injury, Rapids coach Chris Armas pointed out the positional flexibility of Ian Murphy being vital in Colorado posting a clean sheet.
“He’s versatile and can play different spots,” said Armas about Murphy. “He stepped up in a really tough spot. I thought he was aggressive, tuned in and up for the matchup. We talked about being more solid and stingy defensively. Our back line lived up to that.”
The Rapids’ defenders will again be tested against the Earthquakes (2-1-0, 6 points), who dropped a 1-0 home match to Minnesota United last Saturday. Nick Fernandez and Benji Kikanovic each missed the match against the Loons with lower-body injuries.
“They are playing well and getting more comfortable with each other,” Earthquakes coach Bruce Arena said. “But in every phase of the game we can be better.”
San Jose’s depth will be tested, too, as the team announced midfielder Hernan Lopez will be out for at least three months following shoulder surgery.
San Jose hopes that its last game against Minnesota is not a sign of what might be to come. The Earthquakes owned a 15-10 edge in shots, but they got shut out without Lopez. He missed the game after being issued two yellow cards March 1 at Kansas City.
On the other hand, six players already have tallied a goal this season – and Armas says the energy first-year coach Arena has brought to the Earthquakes is evident. Because San Jose has racked up six goals in three games, Armas said he looks forward to a tactical matchup with Arena. Armas considers Arena a mentor as he earned his first cap in 1998 under the tutelage of the former National Team coach. The varied looks the Earthquakes use to attack will provide a stern test.
“It’s a different challenge the way they use Josef Martinez, Cristian Arango with Hernan Lopez and Cristian Espinoza,” Armas said. “They have such a dynamic attack. They open the field, they play with width, they load the central areas with quality, really good players and good movements in the box. The box defense and transition moments against them defensively are something we have to bring our “A” game with.”
–Field Level Media
