Colorado Rapids

Preview: Rapids searching for three road points against Earthquakes

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COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — The Colorado Rapids head to California in search of their first win of the season as they visit the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, March 11, at PayPal Park for Matchday 3 (8:30 p.m. MT; Apple TV – MLS Season Pass, Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM). 

Colorado enters the game looking to build momentum after playing to a 0-0 draw with Sporting Kansas City in their home opener over the weekend. The result extended one of the best runs of forms at home in the league over recent years: since 2021, the Rapids are tied for the fewest losses at home in all of MLS (3) and currently hold the third-best win percentage at home in the league (72.9%). The only teams with a better win percentage at home in that span are last year’s MLS Cup finalists, LAFC and the Philadelphia Union.

Key to the Rapids’ homefield dominance has been goalkeeper William Yarbrough, who continued to etch his name in the club’s history books with a career performance against SKC on Saturday. Yarbrough, who recorded 11 saves to preserve the clean sheet, became the first goalkeeper in club history to produce at least 11 stops in a shutout and his 11 saves on the night were the most in a game by a Colorado goalkeeper since Scott Garlick (13) on July 4, 2001. The 11 saves were also the most in MLS this season and marked the first time Yarbrough recorded double-digit saves in a single game in his career. With his clean sheet against SKC, Yarbrough has now logged the second-most shutouts in club history with 27, only two away from matching Matt Pickens’ all-time record of 29.

Saturday’s game at PayPal Park will be the 75th time the Rapids face the Quakes in the regular season in club history. The Burgundy Boys have only lost one match against San Jose in their previous seven regular-season encounters, with the Quakes compiling just five points during that time dating back to August 2019 (1-4-2). Games between the two sides have traditionally been tight affairs, with only one of those wins, a 5-0 Rapids victory back in Sept. 2020, being decided by more than one goal.

San Jose forward Jeremy Ebobisse leads his side with a pair of goals thus far in the 2023 season. A former U.S. international, Ebobisse was among the league’s top-10 leading goal scorers last season with 17 goals. Argentine winger Cristian Espinoza was fourth in the league with 14 assists in 2022 and has continued his run of form with two assists this season. 

Long-time Earthquakes fans will see a familiar face as Rapids defender Steven Beitashour returns to his hometown and former side. A native of San Jose, California, Beitashour began his career with the Earthquakes after being drafted by them in the second round of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft (30th overall). Since then, the veteran defender has won three Supporters’ Shields (2012, 2017, 2019), three Canadian Championships (2015, 2016, 2017) and an MLS Cup (2017). Beitashour has also gone on to make six appearances for the Iranian national team, including being part of Iran’s 2014 World Cup Squad. 

On the opposite bench, Rapids fans will recognize head coach Luchi Gonzalez and goalkeeper coach Adin Brown, both former Burgundy Boys. Gonzalez scored a pair of goals and delivered a pair of assists across 22 appearances for the Rapids from 2005-2006, while Brown recorded 118 saves and three shutouts between 2000-01 after being drafted with the third overall pick in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft by Colorado.