SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Dwayne DeRosario set up a goal and forced Colorado into two own goals as the San Jose Earthquakes throttled the Rapids 4-0 Saturday night.

San Jose improves its MLS-best record to 8-4-2 (26 points) and stayed atop the Western Conference, while the third-place Rapids fell to 6-7-1 (19 points).

In the fifth-minute, Jimmy Conrad's goal excited a crowd already buzzing by the return of Earthquakes forward and United States World Cup star Landon Donovan from the World Cup in Korea-Japan.

"I missed the guys on the team,'' Donovan said. "I have not been here for almost two months, so it was great to see everyone. It has been a long two days, but everything out well today.''

DeRosario set up the early goal with a cross that Conrad headed past former San Jose goalkeeper David Kramer.

In the 62nd minute, DeRosario dribbled past Colorado's Kyle Beckerman, West Hart and Jeff Stewart before firing a shot that deflected off the back of defender Ricky Titus and into the net for a Colorado own goal.

Six minutes later, San Jose's Ian Russell crossed to the far post and Ariel Graziani slotted a left-footed shot into the goal to make the score 3-0.

Donovan entered in the 85th minute, despite a 12-hour journey from South Korea to Los Angeles and then an hour-long flight to San Jose.

Many in the crowd of more than 10,000 chanted "We want Landon'' for several minutes before Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop sent him in to replace Graziani.

Donovan, who entered Spartan Stadium to a standing ovation before the game, had a hand in the last goal.

In the 89th minute, he threw the ball in to DeRosario, who rounded Colorado defender Ritchie Kotschau and fired a shot that deflected off of Kramer and Kotschau and into the Colorado goal.