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MLS Colorado Rapids

Western Conference Showdown on Saturday

August 31, 2004 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Colorado Rapids News Release


JOE CANNON'S KINGDOM: With the 0-0 tie against his former club on Saturday, Rapids keeper Joe Cannon established a new franchise record for the most shutouts in a season for a single goalkeeper. Saturday night's clean sheet, in which he made nine saves to tie a season-high, was his 10th shutout of the year. Cannon has now eclipsed the former mark of nine shutouts which was set in 2003 by former Colorado keeper Scott Garlick. Despite reaching double figures in shutouts for the first time in his career, Cannon and the rest of the Rapids defense have a little more work to do if they want to set a new team record for most shutouts in a season. That mark is currently at 12, a record set in 1999 when Marcus Hahnemann tallied four clean sheets before going to Fulham of the English First Division. With Hahnemann gone, Ian Feuer stepped into the void and tallied eight shutouts in 19 games in goal for the Rapids, giving the club 12 shutouts in 32 matches for the season.

FORTIFYING THE FORTRESS: In 11 matches at INVESCO Field at Mile High this season, the Rapids have a record of 5-1-5 for 20 points. In those 11 matches, the Colorado defense has managed to surrender only four goals, or a goal every 247.5 minutes. If the Rapids are able to maintain this pace over the final four home games of the regular season, they will set a new MLS record for the lowest home goals per game average at 0.36. The current record of 0.63 is held by the 1999 Los Angeles Galaxy who surrendered just 10 goals in 16 home matches.

GETTING HEALTHY, ONE MAN AT A TIME: With Head Coach Tim Hankinson's team slowly getting back on track in the health department, precautions can never be overrated. The Rapids elected to travel with 17 players to San Jose in order to have different options without jeopardizing the players' health and recovery heading into the final stretch of the season. With Jean Philippe "Pedro" Peguero putting together two straight training sessions for the first time in nearly a month after returning from an abdominal strain and John Spencer nursing a slight injury to his left hamstring, the decision of who would be on the bench in San Jose was a gametime decision. Pedro was eventually the chosen one, while Spencer watched the match from the sidelines, allowing him time to get back to full strength for the final six games of the season.

POWELL BACK IN THE SHACK: Not helping the Rapids' current injury situation is former Jamaican international Darryl Powell, who suffered a sprained right knee during Saturday's match against the Earthquakes at Spartan Stadium. The former Premiership footballer, who was playing as a left back for the Black and Blue for the second straight match after recovering from a hamstring injury, will be evaluated Monday to determine the extent of the injury.

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