Right time, right place – veteran Alan Gordon’s uncanny gift for late goals

Even if you were dashing to the restroom, adjusting a contact lens, or tying your shoe-laces, when the roar went up from the crowd inside Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday to indicate a second goal for the Rapids, chances are you had a pretty good idea who had bagged it.

You see, Alan Gordon has made a habit of scoring late goals throughout his MLS career. And many of those goals have been crucial to the outcome of games, as was the case at the weekend.

He scored his first of 53 regular season goals on August 26, 2006. That goal arrived early, in the fourth minute, of a 5-2 win for LA Galaxy at D.C. United.

But his liking for leaving it late would soon shine through. Goal number four of his career, against Chivas USA on September 30, 2006, was scored in the 80th minute. It did not impact the result, with the Galaxy already 2-0 up, but it highlighted a trait which would serve him well.

Gordon has scored 15 game-winning goals. Not all have been in the latter stages of contests. Of his 53 goals, 13 have been scored in or after the 80th minute. Not all have been game-winners. Gordon's also snatched equalizing goals late on.

His 86th minute effort on Saturday - just four minutes after coming on - was the fifth of the 13 to be a game-winning goal, while another five have been game-tying. The goal against Columbus Crew SC was not the latest he has scored. Nine have arrived later, with seven being in stoppage time!

While with San Jose Earthquakes in 2012, Gordon scored significant late goals in three successive games. See below for the full list of 13 goals scored by Gordon in or after the 80th minute mark:

* Gordon scored in the 82nd minute of a post-season match, when with San Jose Earthquakes. His goal on November 7, 2012 was a consolation in a 3-1 loss to LA Galaxy (3-2 aggregate defeat).