Marvin Chavez suspension cut in half, available to face Colorado Rapids

After a weekend in Seattle to forget, the San Jose Earthquakes received some great news this morning. After hearing an appeal from Marvin Chavez on the two game suspension handed him by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for violent conduct in a May 8 game against Toronto FC, MLS Commissioner Don Garber reduced the length of the suspension to one game.

Chavez has already served that one game suspension - he sat out the Earthquakes 4-0 loss to the Sounders last Saturday - and will be eligible for San Jose's game this weekend against the Colorado Rapids.

The Honduran midfielder has one assist in four games for the Earthquakes so far in 2013 after missing the team's first seven games due to a sprained medial-collateral ligament. In those four appearances this season, three as a starter, the Quakes are unbeaten (1-0-3, 1.50 PPG); the team has struggled to find any consistency in the eight games in which he was unavailable (2-4-2, 1.00 PPG).

Chavez was a significant component of the Earthquakes offense a year ago, as his career high 13 assists paced their franchise record tally of 72 goals. That spark has been missing in the 2013 Quakes, as through 12 games, the team has tallied only 12 goals and 16 assists.

The return to eligibility of Chavez will be a big boost for the Earthquakes this Saturday, as the Rapids are one of the hottest teams in MLS over their last 6 matches (4-1-1) and sit just above San Jose in the Western Conference standings.

The Quakes received further good news this morning as the MLS DisCo announced that Rapids forward Edson Buddle, with 9 career goals against San Jose, was suspended one game for a reckless challenge that endangered the safety of his opponent, Columbus Crew midfielder Tony Tchani, in the 58^th minute of their May 11 game. Buddle will serve his suspension this Saturday when Colorado visit Buck Shaw Stadium to face San Jose.