Beware the Ides of MLS! Zack Steffen Leads Pids to win at San Jose!

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Beware the Ides of MLS in March. On Saturday night at PayPal Park, they had come but they’d not yet gone. The Colorado Rapids played on the road to San Jose Earthquakes. Zack Steffen and company found another way to win a road game.

Rapids manager Chris Armas shuffled things up amid some injuries. Reggie Cannon was able to start at right back after missing last week with captain Keegan Rosenberry at left back. Ian Murphy went to the bench with Andreas Maxsø starting again at center back. Josh Atencio had a groin injury, so second year midfielder Wayne Frederick II made his first ever MLS start. Djordje Mihailović and Rafael Navarro started in the attack.

Hernán López sustained an injury and required surgery this week. Beau Leroux replaced him in midfield. The lineup was otherwise as expected. Chicho Arango and Josef Martinez were in attack.

The first 38 minutes of the game was one way traffic. The Quakes had 12 shots, 8 of them on goal. Zack Steffen stood on his head to keep the match scoreless. Steffen made two saves on Martinez in the opening seconds. The best save came in the 29th, when he palmed a shot off the goal line on a corner from Martinez.

Colorado somehow took the lead in the 38th. Mihailović ran down a long ball and crossed it into the box. Goalkeeper Daniel got to the cross first. Cole Bassett was there to tap in the rebound. It was his first goal contribution of the season and much needed given how he’d started the game. There was controversy as Bassett was well offside on the initial pass from Navarro. Bassett did reset himself and every Quakes player tracked back except Bassett’s initial marker Jamar Ricketts.

San Jose deservedly tied the game in first half stoppage time. On their sixth corner, Arango found space and volleyed it out of the air and into the back of the net. The half ended 1-1.

The second half was more balances. Minutes in, a confident Bassett found Oli Larraz. His shot was blocked. Mihailović made a solo run in the 59th minute but Daniel made a great save. Quakes striker Ousseni Bouda could have had a brace in the two minutes after that. First he forced a great save from Steffen, shooting from the top of the box. A minute later, he hit the crossbar.

The match turned on its head in the 71st minute. Again, against the run of play, Colorado took the lead. Rosenberry sent a through ball to Omir Fernandez who stayed on side. Somehow, the substitutes Fernandez and Calvin Harris found them 2-on-0 against the keeper. Fernandez passed it to Harris for a tap in. It was their first goal contributions of the year.

Colorado saw out the final 19 minutes plus stoppage time to win the game 1-2. San Jose had a few looks to tie it up. The most dangerous was Martinez with a hard shot in the 85th that Steffen saved with more acrobatics.

The Rapids now have two wins and two assists four games into the MLS regular season.

Zack Steffen for USMNT and MOTM!

The Rapids goalkeeper is on a heater going into USMNT camp. He saved 12 of 13 shots on goal. It could have been 3-0 at halftime. This after a great performance and a clean sheet at Austin. Take away a bad two minutes against Dallas (not his fault), he’s given up 4 goals in 6 games all comps. All of them good.

“Zack Steffen showed his quality. Last year, people externally had a fun time poking at him anytime he made a mistake. I think they’ll be really quiet tonight,” Armas told Burgundy Wave.

“I felt when I was watching him, I didn’t think they were going to score on him. He looked like a big guy in a small goal. I’m not surprised. Stood tall. Looked sharp and comfortable.”

He looks composed. He’s giving the defenders in front of him confidence. He’s kept it clean in possession. Steffen should go into camp competing to start the first game of Nations League. Oh, and he plays well in that all purple kit.

Several firsts for Rapids players:

Cole Bassett turned back into Goal Bassett tonight and boy did he need that. It was a tough start for the midfielder. Lots of running, poor execution in possession. That goal reinvigorated him. He was confident and committed in the second half. Hopefully this is the start of a purple patch for the Rapids midfield chef.

“”Really happy for him. He puts in so much work. He’s passionate, diligent and dedicated. We need goal contributions from him. He’ll keep working hard,” Steffen told Burgundy Wave.

It was great to see Fernandez and Harris combine on the winner. Though Calvin’s touch on the goal could have been cleaner. Those were the first goal contributions of the season by Rapids wingers.

Kévin Cabral hasn’t had a good start to the season offensively. He’s been fine defensively and in the press. Harris and Fernandez brought energy and quality to the final third. It might be time for one of them to start over Cabral. There’s competition at winger with them and a recovering Ted Ku-DiPietro.

Lastly, big props to Frederick on his first MLS start. He filled in for Atencio and did not look like a deer in headlights. Kept it simple and safe at times. But he was not a weak link in that midfield defensively. His MLS debut was at San Jose last year for 1 minute. He’s played 84 minutes after tonight.

“We were getting pulled apart a little bit. It put a lot of stress on Wayne. He showed up on the night. He was fearless. Won balls. Interceptions. Tackles. He looked comfortable out there,” Armas said.

Rapids survive and win on the road, again:

Some might say this win was undeserved. San Jose bossed the first half. FotMob had the xG as 2.41 to 1.82 in favor of the home side. And the Harris goal was 0.90 xG, almost half the Rapids output. Colorado was clinical when they needed to be. They played into San Jose’s weaknesses and frustrations.

Almost two and half expected goals but the Quakes had 28 shots, averaging 0.09 xG. The Quakes had possession without a purpose and a bunch of low quality chances. With some antics after the whistle from Josef and Chicho. Colorado created two great chances and buried them.

“It’s a big win for us. The best part is your team take all the experiences from last year, suffer through tough moments, make some plays, and to not shrink in the tough moments. This is what we want, to become THAT team. In the toughest moments, be at their best,” Armas said in his opening statement.

PRO Referee communication:

On a funnier note, the second Rapids goal saw the head referee Alexis Da Silva lose communication with the VAR. The broadcast said they were checking for a handball in the buildup. The goal was given. Someone had to a call a phone on the sideline to communicate that. MLS After Dark. Love it.

Sarachan Derby:

On a sentimental note, this game was the Sarachan Derby. Colorado Rapids assistant Ian Sarachan is the son of longtime Bruce Arena assistant Dave Sarachan. Ian coaches college soccer prior to joining the Rapids in 2024. This the first time they ever met as opposing coaches. Well done Ian on the win.

Photo Credit: Colorado Rapids

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