The San Jose Earthquakes will return home to face the Colorado Rapids on Saturday, April 13, presented by Coca-Cola. Kickoff from PayPal Park in San Jose, California, will take place at 7:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast globally on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass, as well as on local radio via AM 810 The Spread (English) and AM 1370 La Kaliente (Spanish).
The Earthquakes lost a last-second heartbreaker last weekend against Austin FC. For the fifth time in seven games, San Jose took an early lead and both teams exchanged blows in a wild back-and-forth affair. However, in the 11th minute of stoppage time, Austin’s playmaker Sebastián Driussi scored the winner with a strike just outside the 18-yard box.
San Jose aims to get back on track this Saturday against a familiar Western Conference opponent in Colorado. The Earthquakes have gotten the better of the matchup to date, with a 32-25-19 all-time record. The Rapids have found Northern California to be a difficult place to play, with the Quakes holding a 19-9-9 record at home.
Cristian Espinoza will spearhead the Quakes’ attack, as he aims to notch his third career assist against the Rapids. The winger has provided four assists so far this season and was selected to the MLS Team of the Matchday for his performance last weekend. William Yarbrough will face his former club for the first time in his career. The goalkeeper made 101 appearances and played a pivotal role in Colorado’s first-place finish in the Western Conference in 2021.
The Rapids enter the matchup following a 2-2 draw with a star-studded Inter Miami side thanks to goals from midfielder Cole Bassett and forward Rafael Navarro. Lifetime, Bassett has found success against the Earthquakes, providing two goals and two assists in seven matches.
As the Earthquakes travel back to San Jose, the club is looking to replicate their last home performance, a 3-2 victory over Seattle Sounders FC. Head coach Luchi Gonzalez reflects on the team’s form to start the season.
“We’re starting on the front foot. We’re starting with courage, pushing with a desire to win the game,” Gonzalez said. “To win a game over 90 minutes, it’s not just how you start, it’s how do you deal with key moments when the momentum shifts, and how do you manage that mentally. … We got to keep maturing, keep growing mentally to deal with adversity, and not feel sorry for ourselves. We’re not victims. We have the team, we’ve proven it in most every start of the game, but we’ve got to do this over 90-plus minutes.”
Newly acquired Amahl Pellegrino scored his first MLS goal last weekend. The winger scored 75 goals in three seasons at Bodo/Glimt before signing with San Jose in the offseason. With his account now open with the Quakes, Pellegrino looks to increase his tally after battling injuries the last two weeks.
“It was a good feeling there, but after the game it was not so good because I’m a football player that wants to win games more than just having my name on the scoresheet,” Pellegrino said. “In the end, it was not so good, but…the game opened a lot. I want more from myself. I came really late in the preseason, and I’m trying to get to know my teammates, and my teammates are trying to get to know me. …We just have to keep fighting and doing what we are doing. I’m really optimistic that we will be much better next week.”
After back-to-back away matches in Texas, the Earthquakes hope to build some momentum with a victory at PayPal Park in front of what will be a crowd hungry for three points.
