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 Colorado Rapids

Who Connects Colorado Rapids with San Jose Earthquakes?

May 6, 2015 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Colorado Rapids News Release


As Colorado Rapids ready themselves to meet San Jose Earthquakes at home this Friday, kickoff 8:00 p.m MT (TICKETS), we take a look at some of the people who have played a part for both clubs.

Junior Agogo: joined the Rapids in 2000, following just one game at Chicago Fire. He made 32 appearances, scoring 11 goals (7 assists), before departing for San Jose in June, 2001 in a trade which brought Chris Carrieri in the other direction.

Quincy Amarikwa: was drafted in the third round of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft by San Jose Earthquakes, featuring 25 times (scoring 1 goal), before being traded to the Rapids on April 7, 2010. He was part of the Rapids' MLS Cup-winning squad that year, and would go on to make 31 appearances (3 goals) before being waived by the Rapids in June, 2012. He is currently with Chicago Fire.

Rafael Amaya: after being selected in the 13th round (128th overall) of the inaugural MLS player draft in 1996, Amaya spent one season with San Jose Clash (7 appearances). He was then part of the deal which took Dominic Kinnear to San Jose and himself and Paul Bravo to Colorado. A former player with Colorado Foxes and Denver Thunder (indoor), Amaya made only seven appearances for the Rapids during the 1997 season, before joining the Colorado Comets in the USISL PDSL the following Spring.

Mehdi Ballouchy: Morocco-born Ballouchy began his soccer life in the USA at Boulder Rapids Reserves, before being drafted by Real Salt Lake in 2006. He moved across the Rockies in July, 2007, in exchange for Kyle Beckerman. Ballouchy made 77 appearances for the Rapids, scoring seven goals, before heading to New York Red Bulls in September 2010, for Macoumba Kandji. Arriving from the Red Bulls to San Jose in July, 2012, the midfielder would suffer an ACL injury soon after which restricted his playing time in California to just 11 appearances. He is now with New York City FC.

Paul Bravo: eighth pick by San Jose Clash (now San Jose Earthquakes) in the inaugural MLS player draft in February, 1996. He would score 13 goals (5 assists) in 31 appearances during that first season, before being traded - along with Rafael Amaya - to the Rapids, in exchange for Dominic Kinnear and a second round pick in the 1998 MLS Supplemental Draft. Bravo would play five seasons for the Rapids, netting 39 regular season goals in 135 appearances. He is now VP of Soccer Operations and Technical Director with the Colorado club.

Joe Cannon: enjoyed two spells with San Jose Earthquakes (1999-2002 & 2008-2010) for a total of 171 appearances. In between, this goalkeeper played 86 times for the Rapids, making his debut as a second-half substitute for Scott Garlick in the last regular season game of 2003. In 2004, Cannon kept 10 shutouts, a club record equaled by Clint Irwin in 2013.

Chris Carrieri: drafted by San Jose in 2001, Carrieri made five appearances with the Quakes. He was traded to the Rapids in June of that year for Junior Agogo, and would go on to make 69 appearances for the Rapids, netting 13 goals from midfield.

Marvin Chavez: the Honduras international spent two seasons at San Jose (2012-13), making 42 appearances. He scored four goals for the Quakes, including a stunning freekick in a 1-1 tie with the Rapids during the 2013 season. Chavez moved to the Rapids for the start of the 2014 season, but made just two appearances, before moving back to California to join Chivas USA.

Mark Chung: arrived in Colorado from the Metrostars for the start of the 2002 season. In three-and-a-half seasons, Chung scored 27 goals in 93 appearances, before departing for San Jose early into the 2005 campaign. He played the remainder of the 2005 season with the Quakes, making 26 appearances, while contributing six goals before retiring at the end of the year, when San Jose were relocated to Houston.

Sam Cronin: joined the Rapids this year after five seasons with San Jose Earthquakes, during which time he made 140 appearances. He also scored five goals, one of which was the winner against the Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in the 2013 season.

Eric Denton: having been cut by Columbus Crew at the end of the 2004 season, defender Denton spent two seasons with the Rapids (53 appearances/1 goal), before heading to the Red Bulls in 2007. He signed for expansion side San Jose Earthquakes on its return to the league for the 2008 season, and made 37 appearances, before being waived on June 25, 2009.

* Todd Dunivant: born in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Dunivant started with Boulder Rapids Reserves (part of the development system for the Rapids) in 2002, before being selected sixth overall in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft by the San Jose Earthquakes. Dunivant, now at LA Galaxy, made 46 appearances (1 goal) during two seasons with the Quakes.

Dan Gargan: was drafted in the fourth round (43rd overall) by the Rapids in the 2005 MLS Supplemental Draft, and went on to feature 49 times for the Colorado club. After spells at Chivas USA, Puerto Rico Islanders, Toronto FC and Chicago Fire, defender Gargan spent the 2013 season with San Jose, making just eight appearances.

Kelly Gray: arrived in San Jose in June, 2005 and scored one goal in 22 appearances. He was part of the move from San Jose to Houston in 2006. Gray left the Dynamo for LA Galaxy in 2007, before being picked up by the Rapids at the start of the 2008 season. He played just two games before being traded with Jovan Kirovski to the newly reformed San Jose Earthquakes franchise in exchange for Preston Burpo and a fourth-round pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft.

Wes Hart: grew up in Littleton, Colorado, he was selected seventh overall in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft by the Rapids. He went on to make 67 appearances (2 goals), before two seasons at San Jose Earthquakes (2004-05). Hart featured 25 times for the Quakes.

Jovan Kirovski: the former US international, who came through the Manchester United youth system, joined the Rapids from LA Galaxy in 2005. He would go on to make 61 appearances, scoring 12 goals, before spending the 2008 season with San Jose Earthquakes (see Kelly Gray above). After nine appearances in the 2008 campaign, Kirovski saw out his playing career back at the Galaxy, where he is now technical director.

Dominic Kinnear: now back at San Jose as their head coach, Kinnear was allocated to the Rapids in January, 1996. He made just 14 appearances for the Rapids in that first season, at the end of which he was traded to San Jose Clash for Paul Bravo and Rafael Amaya (see above). In his only season in San Jose, Kinnear featured 28 times.

David Kramer: a goalkeeper with both San Jose and the Rapids, Kramer's time in Colorado began with the Foxes in 1997. He was signed by San Jose Clash and played 12 games of the '97 campaign. He lost his place to Joe Cannon during 1999, and moved to the Rapids at the end of that season. Cannon would follow, and again replaced Kramer as the starting keeper. Kramer, who was also assistant coach with the Rapids after retiring, made 44 appearances for San Jose and 46 for Colorado.

Brian Mullan: was with San Jose Earthquakes from 2003-05, making 83 appearances and scoring 12 goals, before the franchise moved to Houston. He arrived back home in Colorado from the Dynamo during the 2010 season. He retired from the game at the end of the 2014 season, having featured 73 times (3 goals) for the Rapids. He is now an assistant coach with Colorado.

Craig Waibel: made just two appearances for the Rapids while on loan from Seattle Sounders in 2000, Waibel went on to play three seasons with San Jose Earthquakes, from 2003-05, making 53 appearances (1 goal). He stayed with the franchise when it moved to Houston in 2006.

Tim Ward: although he was with the Rapids in 2008, as part of a trade which took Nicolas Hernández to Columbus Crew, Ward never made a first team appearance. He arrived in San Jose in August, 2010 and made 16 appearances before being released at the end of the 2012 season.

Marvell Wynne (pictured): a part of the MLS Cup-winning team, Wynne made 140 appearances for the Rapids from 2010-14. Following the 2014 season, his fifth campaign in Colorado, the Rapids declined Wynne's 2015 contract option. He was selected in stage two of the MLS Re-Entry Draft by the Quakes.


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