Chris Wondolowski scored the opener from the penalty spot, but Kei Kamara found the equalizer late in the second half as the San Jose Earthquakes drew the Colorado Rapids 1-1 at Earthquakes Stadium.
The match was more open than the final score might suggest, as both sides had chances on goal that could have given them the win, but in the end the goals from Wondolowski and Kamara would result in the sides splitting the points.
Colorado had a good look at the opener 10 minutes after kickoff, when Younes Namli slid a pass in for Kellyn Acosta that was received after a nice dummy from Diego Rubio. But Acosta would be denied by a kick-save from San Jose goalkeeper Daniel Vega.
The sides swapped a couple more half-chances in the first half, but none that resulted in the opening goal. Wondolowski had one sail over the bar on the half-hour mark, while Colorado's Andre Shinyashiki had a low shot from distance trickle wide in the 36th.
Colorado nearly struck in the 57th minute after a turnover set Rubio up with a laser left-footed effort from just outside the box that beat Vega, only to careen off the post.
The Quakes then got the go-ahead goal in the next minute when Colorado's Sam Vines was called for a handball in his own area after going to ground to try and stop a cross from Paul Marie, drawing a penalty kick whistle from referee Kevin Stott. That allowed Wondolowski to step to the spot, where he rolled the game's first goal right down the middle and into the net.
Kamara found the equalizer in the 81st, though, rising up to head home a corner kick from Cole Bassett, giving the Rapids the goal they needed to escape with the point.
Goals
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Both teams were in the midst of a rough patch of form following the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, and in the end neither got what would have been a big bounceback win. Colorado's Robin Fraser is probably the happier coach of the two with the result, considering the Rapids were the road team, and had to fight back after trailing late in the match.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: The Quakes only needed to see out nine more minutes plus stoppage time to get all three points, but Kamara did what he's been doing his entire MLS career to ensure that wouldn't be the case.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Both veteran strikers have a shout for scoring their team's only goal, but we'll switch it up and give the nod to a youngster in Cole Bassett for his pinpoint corner kick delivery on Kamara's finish.
Next Up
- SJ: Thursday, Sept. 10 at Seattle Sounders (10 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+; DAZN in Canada)
- COL: Wednesday, Sept. 9 vs. Houston Dynamo (9 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+; DAZN in Canada)
