COMMERCE CITY, COLO. (AP) - The Colorado Rapids scored on an own goal in the 25th minute and ended a seven-game winless streak with a 1-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night.
Colorado (7-5-6), scored when Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch hit the ball into his own net on a shot by Omar Cummings. It helped end the Rapids’ 0-2-5 slide that began after their previous victory on June 5.
The Rapids also hadn’t beaten the Earthquakes since April 24, 2004 _ going 0-6-6 during that span.
Colorado played its second game without leading scorer, Conor Casey (head laceration). Casey has seven of the team’s 20 goals.
San Jose (6-6-5) was shut out for the sixth time. Chris Wondolowski, who had the lone goal in San Jose’s 1-0 win over the Rapids on May 1, was limited to two scoring chances.
The Earthquakes played their first game without midfielder Andre Luiz, defender Ike Opara and defender Steven Beitashour. Luiz (knee), Opara (foot) and Beitashour (hand) underwent surgery this week.
Neither team had a shot on goal until Busch made a sliding save on a shot by Colin Clark in the 10th minute. Colorado was denied a second chance seconds later when defender Bobby Burling used his chest to block a shot by Jeff Larentowicz.
Cummings’ shot from inside the crease in the 14th minute barely missed the right post.
Ryan Johnson’s left-footed drive, the first shot by San Jose, came in the 20th minute and was caught by goalkeeper Matt Pickens. Wondolowski had a shot from the slot sail wide left in the 24th minute.
Cummings sent what appeared to be a harmless shot from the right of the crease. Busch went down to catch it, but the ball came off his hands and found the net in the 25th minute.
The Earthquakes had a scoring chance early in the second half. Wondolowski got free just outside the scoring zone in the 47th minute, but his shot went wide of the right post.
San Jose midfielder Joey Gjertsen kept it a one-goal game, forcing an errant shot by Cummings in the 61st minute. Pickens batted away San Jose’s best scoring chance, a free kick by Bobby Convey in the 72nd minute.
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