MLS

• Earthquakes blank Rapids for first win

  
  

  Commerce City, CO (Sports Network) - Ronnie O'Brien scored the game-winner and added an assist as the San Jose Earthquakes shutout the Colorado Rapids 2-0 on Saturday night for their first win since rejoining Major League Soccer.

  The original San Jose franchise won MLS Cups in 2001 and 2003 before moving to Houston - that team has won the last two league titles - but rejoined MLS this season as an expansion team.

  Despite playing well in their first two games, the Earthquakes (1-2-0) failed to score and lost both.

  O'Brien finally delivered the goal San Jose needed late in the first half and assisted Kei Kamara's goal in the second half to pick up its first win against the Western Conference leaders.

  Colorado (2-2-0), which won two of its first three matches without allowing a goal, lost for the second time.

  Colorado had two of the better chances in the first 26 minutes, but a pair of headers - the second by defender Facundo Erpen - failed to find the target.

  O'Brien had San Jose's first chance in the 30th minute after a cross from Ivan Guerrero set him up on the right side of the penalty area. O'Brien made a move to lose Colin Clark, but his soft chip shot sailed wide of the far post.

  Although O'Brien missed the chance, it sparked a surge by San Jose that led to O'Brien's goal.

  The 'Quakes nearly ended their scoring drought in the 38th when Kamara's shot was deflected just enough by Rapids goalie Bouna Coundoul to hit the crossbar.

  Gavin Glinton had San Jose's next golden chance when he won a ball outside the box with Coundoul charging out to make a play. But a slight deflection off the Rapids goalie made Glinton misjudge the ball and it went off his arm. Glinton continued the play and scored into the empty net, but the whistle had already blown.

  O'Brien finally ended San Jose's season-long scoreless stretch just before the half.

  Glinton started the play with a pass to O'Brien on the right side. O'Brien got off a shot from inside the box to test Coundoul, and the Rapids goalie made an initial save.

  The rebound rolled back toward O'Brien, though, and he didn't waste the second chance and fired inside the near post from deep inside the box before Coundoul could recover. Coundoul, who had two shutouts in his first three games, kicked the post in frustration after the goal.

  Omar Cummings nearly got Colorado level just over a minute later, but his shot from 19 yards was stopped by San Jose goalie Joe Cannon at the near post.

  Colorado's bad first half only got worse in stoppage time when John DiRaimondo went to the ground grasping his lower left leg after digging his foot into the grass. He stayed down on the grass in obvious pain and couldn't return for the second half.

  San Jose added to Colorado's concerns 16 minutes after half when O'Brien and Ned Grabavoy combined to set up Kamara's goal.

  O'Brien passed to Grabavoy, who made a nice to move to draw defenders and slid a pass into space for Kamara.

  Kamara lost a defender at the top of the penalty area and beat Coundoul low to score inside the left post.

  Colorado had seven goals from different players in its first three matches but did nothing offensively to scare San Jose over the final 30 minutes.

  San Jose goalie Joe Cannon, who played for Los Angeles last season, earned his first shutout of the season.

  04/20 00:17:02 ET