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Earthquakes-Rapids Preview

Sep 22, 2009 - 5:17 PM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

San Jose (5-12-6) at Colorado (10-8-7), 9:30 p.m. EDT

If the Colorado Rapids are going to return to the playoffs, a rare win against the San Jose Earthquakes could make a difference. Facing the Western Conference rivals at home should help.

The Rapids look to improve their playoff chances by beating the Earthquakes for the first time in over five years Wednesday night in the conclusion of a home-and-home set.

Colorado (10-8-7) is tied with Chivas USA for sixth overall in the playoff race, one point behind Seattle. However, the Rapids and Chivas are three points ahead of the ninth-place tie between Real Salt Lake, New England and Toronto, which all trail D.C. by two for the final wild-card position.

The top two teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs, while the next four highest point totals gain berths as wild cards.

A win over the Earthquakes (5-12-6) can certainly help the Rapids, who needed a second-half injury-time goal from Conor Casey on a penalty kick to earn a 1-all tie at San Jose on Friday. Colorado was awarded the spot kick after referee Edvin Jurisevic whistled Quakes forward Ryan Johnson for taking down defender Drew Moor.

"We played very poorly," said Casey, who leads MLS with 14 goals. "To get out with a point in the end - well, I don't know you'd say it was deserved. I don't think we played well enough to get one."

Colorado hasn't beaten San Jose since April 24, 2004, going 0-7-2. The Rapids fell 2-0 in the last meeting at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on April 19, 2008.

The Earthquakes have won once on the road since, 2-0 over Columbus on June 7, 2008. They've tied Salt Lake for the second-longest winless streak as the visitor in league history, going 0-12-7. That run, however, is well short of the record 24-game stretch (0-18-6) that New York is currently enduring.

In order to snap that slide, San Jose might need to overcome the disappointment from last week's tie.

"(Friday), still stings a bit," defender Jason Hernandez told the Earthquakes' official Web site. "The guys are a bit bitter and it leaves a sour taste in your mouth. But we're just going to have to learn from our mistakes, learn that there are a few different ways to kill the game and really try to grow and learn."

The Rapids are 8-2-3 at home, outscoring opponents 23-8. They'll have defensive midfielder Pablo Mastroeni back after the captain was suspended three games for endangering the safety of defender Andrew Hainault, who was injured on the play, during a 1-0 win over Houston on Aug. 30.

While Mastroeni is expected to start, Colorado might be without goalkeeper Matt Pickens for a third consecutive game after he hurt his knee during practice two weeks ago.

If Pickens can't play, veteran backup Preston Burpo will get the call again. He allowed San Jose's only shot on goal to go in Friday after making two saves in a 3-2 loss to Toronto on Sept. 12.