2026 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Colorado Rapids blank Earthquakes to reach first Semifinal since 1999

For the first time since its inglorious 1999 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup run, the Colorado Rapids are through to the Semifinal round with a 2-0 win over San Jose Earthquakes at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

Darren Yapi and Rafael Navarro scored goals in the waning minutes of the first half to put the Rapids through to host St. Louis CITY SC in the semifinal round the week of Sept. 15-16.

“It’s great to be in the semifinal, but of course we’re not satisfied with that,” Rapids head coach Matt Wells said. “We’ve got a lot of talent in our dressing room. This is where I expect us to be. This is the standard I want going forward.”

In the first quarter of an hour San Jose tested Rapids’ goalkeeper Nico Hansen three times, including twice from close range as the Rapids defenders struggled tracking the Quakes late runs into the box.

The Rapids answered—or thought it had—in the 22^nd minute after San Jose failed to fully clear a Paxten Aaronson free kick. Josh Atencio ran down the ball on the left wing and found Rafael Navarro at the far post. Navarro pushed the ball past the flailing Daniel at the far post.

After the pyrotechnic smoke had cleared referee Fotis Bazakos was summoned to the replay screen at midfield, where he determined that defender Rob Holding was offside on the initial free kick—without directly being involved with play—nullifying the goal. Unlike earlier Open Cup rounds, VAR was implemented in the quarterfinal round.

“It’s something we’re going to have to take a close look at,” Wells said. “Rob was in an offside position but not contesting for the ball.”

Already degenerating even before the VAR decision, the game further degenerated as both teams took turns knocking the other to the ground as Bazakos waived his yellow card at the back of the offending players. A total of five yellow cards were shown before all was said and done.

With five minutes to play in the first half Darren Yapi banged in a goal that VAR could not take away off a Dante Sealy cross that began with a short corner. Yapi did everything he needed to connect with Sealy’s driven cross a yard from goal to put the ball past Daniel, who was then hit with a bottle from the stands as he fished the ball out of the net. Daniel’s assailant was escorted out by Commerce City Police in handcuffs. The goal was Yapi’s first in Open Cup play.

“That was straight off the training ground,” Wells said. “It was a brilliant delivery from Dante .”

VAR gave the Rapids a second goalscoring opportunity eight minutes into first half added time when Bazakos whistled San Jose defender Reid Roberts for an awkward handling of the ball. Bazakos awarded the free kick just outside of the penalty area. After a long look, Bazakos awarded the Rapids a penalty kick after video showed Roberts was inside the ball when he handled the ball.

Captain for the night, Rafael Navarro took the ball and stood on the penalty spot while San Jose made the requisite protests, slotting his shot to Daniel’s right to put the Rapids up 2-0 ten minutes into second half added time.

“Rafael put in a great effort tonight, his selflessness, the way he helped the team,” Wells said. “It is a benchmark for him, to build and improve. When we do that, we’ve got a top player. It was a great performance for me.”

As the second half wore on it was clear it was not going to be San Jose’s night. The Rapids did all it needed to hold onto the lead—almost adding to it, making Daniel save from close range. When San Jose did have opportunities: shots were either skied over the crossbar or blasted well wide.

“We needed to suffer in the second half as a team,” Wells said. “Every single player was participating, focused, putting in the effort.”

With a quarter of an hour left San Jose made its last push, forcing Hanses to save twice to keep the scoresheet clean as a visibly frustrated Bruce Arena stood on the touchline with his hands in his pockets.

Wednesday night’s win was the Rapids’ first Open Cup win versus an MLS opponent in 20 years—a 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake in 2006. It snapped a seven-game losing streak against fellow MLS teams.

The Rapids will host St. Louis CITY SC in the Open Cup Semifinals at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park the week of Sept. 15-16. It will be the first Semifinal the Rapids have hosted in team history and the first time they have reached the final four since 1999, the year that they reached the championship game, but ultimately fell to the Rochester Raging Rhinos (A-League).