Chris Wondolowski
Encyclopedia
Christopher Elliott Wondolowski (born January 28, 1983 in Danville, California
) is an American
soccer player who currently plays for San Jose Earthquakes
in Major League Soccer
.
in Concord
, California
, where he earned All-Bay Valley Athletic League first team and all-East Bay first team honors in 2000 and 2001. He was awarded two area "Player of the Year" awards in 2001 by local media. Wondolowski played club soccer for the Diablo Valley Soccer Club (DVSC) and Danville Mustang Soccer Association.
He went on to enjoy a standout college soccer
career at Chico State University, and led the Chico Rooks
of the then Men's Premier Soccer League
with 17 goals in the 2004 season.
by the San Jose Earthquakes
. Although he made only two MLS appearances for San Jose in 2005, he led the Earthquakes reserve team in scoring with eight goals in 12 games.
Along with the rest of his Earthquakes teammates, he moved to Houston for the 2006 season and once again led the reserve team in scoring, tallying 13 goals in 11 games. He scored his first MLS goal 30 August 2006 against the Chicago Fire.
In 2007, Wondolowski scored against Pachuca in the semifinal round of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, although Houston was eliminated in the second leg. He scored his second career MLS goal - a tap-in against Chicago - on July 12, 2007, and his 4th career goal for Houston against New York Red Bulls on May 16, 2009 was also the 7000th goal in Major League Soccer history.
Wondolowski was traded to the San Jose Earthquakes
in exchange for Cam Weaver
in June 2009. With the move to San Jose, Wondolowski began to receive more playing time and appeared in 14 games in which he scored 3 goals for San Jose. Wondolowski had a break-out season in 2010 in which he led Major League Soccer
in scoring with 18 goals in 26 matches, leading San Jose into the MLS Playoffs. He scored his first playoff goal with the series winning goal against New York in their playoff game, propelling San Jose to a 3-2 aggregate win.
Wondolowski’s first brace of 2011 started in the fifth minute of play against F.C. Dallas. After receiving a ball in the box, Wondolowski took the ball off a volley with time to turn and punch the shot past a helpless Kevin Hartman
. His second goal would come in just the 23rd minute after Dallas was unable to clear the ball on a set piece.
, Wondolowski was called up to Winter Training Camp with the United States men's national soccer team
. At the conclusion of the three week camp, his first cap with the national team came in a January 22, 2011 friendly against Chile
at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California
.
On May 23, 2011, Wondolowski was named to the United States
roster for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
competition. He missed a wide-open net during the U.S. 2-1 loss to Panama.
. He is half-Native American
through his mother who was born into the Kiowa tribe, of which Chris himself is also a member.
Statistics accurate as of match played 22 Oct 2011
Danville, California
The Town of Danville is located in the San Ramon Valley in Contra Costa County, California. It is one of the incorporated municipalities in California that uses "town" in its name instead of "city". The population was 42,039 in 2010. Danville is one of the wealthiest suburbs of Oakland and San...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soccer player who currently plays for San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
.
Youth and College
Wondolowski played high school soccer at De La Salle High SchoolDe La Salle High School (Concord, California)
De La Salle High School is a Roman Catholic Private school for boys in Concord, California, United States. Located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, the school was founded in 1965 as a Lasallian institution. De La Salle currently enrolls just over 1,000 students, and roughly 99% of each...
in Concord
Concord, California
Concord is the largest city in Contra Costa County, California, USA. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 122,067. Originally founded in 1869 as the community of Todos Santos by Salvio Pacheco, the name was changed to Concord within months...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he earned All-Bay Valley Athletic League first team and all-East Bay first team honors in 2000 and 2001. He was awarded two area "Player of the Year" awards in 2001 by local media. Wondolowski played club soccer for the Diablo Valley Soccer Club (DVSC) and Danville Mustang Soccer Association.
He went on to enjoy a standout college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
career at Chico State University, and led the Chico Rooks
Chico Rooks
The Chico Rooks was an American soccer team, founded in 1993 by Guido Barbero. The team was a member of the National Premier Soccer League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2006...
of the then Men's Premier Soccer League
National Premier Soccer League
The National Premier Soccer League is a United States soccer league recognized by the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA as a Division IV league...
with 17 goals in the 2004 season.
Professional
Wondolowski was drafted 41st overall in the 2005 MLS Supplemental Draft2005 MLS Supplemental Draft
Following the signature of the first MLS players' union contract, the MLS Superdraft was limited to four rounds. As a result, the Supplemental Draft was re-incarnated to hold the additional rounds. The 2005 MLS Supplemental Draft, held on February 4, 2005, was the first re-incarnation of the MLS...
by the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
. Although he made only two MLS appearances for San Jose in 2005, he led the Earthquakes reserve team in scoring with eight goals in 12 games.
Along with the rest of his Earthquakes teammates, he moved to Houston for the 2006 season and once again led the reserve team in scoring, tallying 13 goals in 11 games. He scored his first MLS goal 30 August 2006 against the Chicago Fire.
In 2007, Wondolowski scored against Pachuca in the semifinal round of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, although Houston was eliminated in the second leg. He scored his second career MLS goal - a tap-in against Chicago - on July 12, 2007, and his 4th career goal for Houston against New York Red Bulls on May 16, 2009 was also the 7000th goal in Major League Soccer history.
Wondolowski was traded to the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
in exchange for Cam Weaver
Cam Weaver
William Cameron "Cam" Weaver is an American soccer player who plays as a forward for the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer.-High School and College:...
in June 2009. With the move to San Jose, Wondolowski began to receive more playing time and appeared in 14 games in which he scored 3 goals for San Jose. Wondolowski had a break-out season in 2010 in which he led Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
in scoring with 18 goals in 26 matches, leading San Jose into the MLS Playoffs. He scored his first playoff goal with the series winning goal against New York in their playoff game, propelling San Jose to a 3-2 aggregate win.
Wondolowski’s first brace of 2011 started in the fifth minute of play against F.C. Dallas. After receiving a ball in the box, Wondolowski took the ball off a volley with time to turn and punch the shot past a helpless Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman is an American soccer player who currently plays for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer-Youth and College:...
. His second goal would come in just the 23rd minute after Dallas was unable to clear the ball on a set piece.
International
Following his successful stint with the Earthquakes during the 2010 season which included winning the 2010 MLS Golden BootMLS Golden Boot
The MLS Golden Boot has been awarded since the 2005 season to Major League Soccer's regular season leading scorer...
, Wondolowski was called up to Winter Training Camp with the United States men's national soccer team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
. At the conclusion of the three week camp, his first cap with the national team came in a January 22, 2011 friendly against Chile
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
.
On May 23, 2011, Wondolowski was named to the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
roster for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and 21th CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence...
competition. He missed a wide-open net during the U.S. 2-1 loss to Panama.
Other Accomplishments
Wondolowski was a stand-out middle distance runner while at De La Salle: he earned his way to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State track meet in both his Junior and Senior years. His accomplishments caught the attention and interest of several track schools, including UCLA: Chris' recorded bests were 1:57 in the 800 and 4:15 in the 1600 during his senior season. Chris was also an outstanding middle infielder throughout his youth baseball career. The highlight was starting at second base for the Danville Rockies baseball team, a club that went on to capture the 1997 PONY League (13-14 yr. old) World Series Championship He was eventually persuaded to give up baseball after completing his JV Baseball season to try his hand at distance running. The DLS track coach "discovered" Chris after he recorded a time of 10:20 for a two-mile "fitness run" that was administered to all of the varsity soccer players.Personal
Chris is the brother of fellow professional soccer player Stephen WondolowskiStephen Wondolowski
Stephen Wondolowski is an American soccer defender.-High school:He played high school soccer at De La Salle High School in Concord, California, where he helped his team earn a North Coast section title in 2003...
. He is half-Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
through his mother who was born into the Kiowa tribe, of which Chris himself is also a member.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League Major League Soccer Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada... |
MLS Cup Playoffs MLS Cup The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues... |
U.S. Open Cup Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League... |
SuperLiga North American SuperLiga The SuperLiga was an official North American association football competition between teams from the Primera División of Mexico and Major League Soccer of the United States and Canada, the top divisions in each country. The competition was sanctioned by CONCACAF, U.S... |
Champions League CONCACAF Champions League The CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region .... |
Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| San Jose Earthquakes San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
2005 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| 3 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic... |
2006 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | ||||||
| 9 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 2007 2007 Major League Soccer season The 2007 Major League Soccer season was the 12th season in league history. The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18, 2007 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C..... |
16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 21 | 2 | |
| 2008 2008 Major League Soccer season The 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 season:... |
8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 16 | 2 | |
| 2009 2009 Major League Soccer season The 2009 Major League Soccer season was the 14th season of Major League Soccer. The season began on March 19 and ended with Real Salt Lake winning the MLS Cup 2009, on November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington-Changes from the 2008 season:... |
7 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | ||||||||||
| San Jose Earthquakes San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
2009 2009 Major League Soccer season The 2009 Major League Soccer season was the 14th season of Major League Soccer. The season began on March 19 and ended with Real Salt Lake winning the MLS Cup 2009, on November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington-Changes from the 2008 season:... |
14 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 14 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 2010 2010 Major League Soccer season The 2010 Major League Soccer season was the 98th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 32nd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 15th in MLS history. It began on March 25 at Seattle's Qwest Field with Seattle Sounders FC defeating the expansion... |
28 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |||||||
| 32 | 19 | ||||||||||||
| 2011 2011 Major League Soccer season The 2011 Major League Soccer season was the 99th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 33rd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 16th season of Major League Soccer. The season marked the arrival of two new league clubs, Portland Timbers and Vancouver... |
30 | 16 | |||||||||||
| 2 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 32 | 16 | ||||||||||||
| Career total | 111 | 41 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 134 | 46 | |
Statistics accurate as of match played 22 Oct 2011
Individual
- MLS Golden BootMLS Golden BootThe MLS Golden Boot has been awarded since the 2005 season to Major League Soccer's regular season leading scorer...
(1): 20102010 Major League Soccer seasonThe 2010 Major League Soccer season was the 98th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 32nd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 15th in MLS history. It began on March 25 at Seattle's Qwest Field with Seattle Sounders FC defeating the expansion... - MLS Best XIMLS Best XIThe MLS Best XI is an acknowledgement of the best eleven players in the league in a given season for Major League Soccer in Canada and the United States.-Winners:*Players in bold text also won the Major League Soccer MVP Award award for that season....
(2): 20102010 Major League Soccer seasonThe 2010 Major League Soccer season was the 98th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 32nd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 15th in MLS history. It began on March 25 at Seattle's Qwest Field with Seattle Sounders FC defeating the expansion...
, 20112011 Major League Soccer seasonThe 2011 Major League Soccer season was the 99th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 33rd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 16th season of Major League Soccer. The season marked the arrival of two new league clubs, Portland Timbers and Vancouver...