Chris Wondolowski facts for kids

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Chris Wondolowski

Wondolowski with the United States at the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup
Personal information
Full name	Christopher Elliott Wondolowski
Date of birth	(1983-01-28) January 28, 1983 (age 42)
Place of birth	Danville, California, United States
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Position(s)	Forward
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2001–2004	Chico State Wildcats	84	(39)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004	Chico Rooks	16	(17)
2005	San Jose Earthquakes	2	(0)
2006–2009	Houston Dynamo	37	(4)
2009–2021	San Jose Earthquakes	374	(167)
Total		429	(188)
International career
2011–2016	United States	35	(11)
Medal record Representing  United States Men's soccer CONCACAF Gold Cup Runner-up 2011 United States Winner 2013 United States
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Christopher Elliott Wondolowski (born January 28, 1983) is a famous American former professional soccer player. He played as a forward, which means he was a goal scorer. He is known as one of the best strikers in Major League Soccer (MLS) history.

Wondolowski was the top scorer in MLS in 2010 and 2012. He was also named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2012. With 171 goals, he holds the record for the most goals ever scored in MLS regular season games. He is also the only player to score 150 or more regular-season goals in the league.

He played college soccer for the Chico State Wildcats. He then played for the Chico Rooks before joining the San Jose Earthquakes in 2005. The Earthquakes team later moved and became the Houston Dynamo. Wondolowski helped the Dynamo win the MLS Cup in 2006 and 2007. He returned to the re-established Earthquakes in 2009. He is the only player in MLS history to score ten or more goals in ten seasons in a row. He also holds records for most MLS goals scored away from home and most game-winning goals. Wondolowski retired from professional soccer on November 7, 2021. People often called him a "poacher" because he was so good at scoring goals from close range.

From 2011 to 2016, Wondolowski played for the United States men's national soccer team. He played in three CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments and helped the team win in 2013. He also played for the U.S. at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Early Soccer Days

High School and College Play

Wondolowski played high school soccer at De La Salle High School in Concord, California. He was a top player there in 2000 and 2001, earning special awards. He also played for local club teams like Diablo Valley Soccer Club.

He had a great college soccer career at Chico State University. He scored 39 goals in 84 games. In 2004, he led the Chico Rooks team with 17 goals.

Professional Club Career

Starting with San Jose (2005)

The San Jose Earthquakes picked Wondolowski in the 2005 MLS Draft. He played in two MLS games that year. He also scored eight goals in 12 games for the Earthquakes' reserve team.

Time with Houston Dynamo (2006–2009)

Wondolowski playing for the Dynamo in 2009

In 2006, Wondolowski moved to Houston with his Earthquakes teammates when the team became the Houston Dynamo. He continued to score many goals for the reserve team. He scored his first MLS goal on August 30, 2006, against the Chicago Fire.

In 2007, he scored a goal in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup against Pachuca. He also scored his first goal in the U.S. Open Cup that year. He scored his second MLS goal on July 12, 2007. Wondolowski played for the reserve team and the main team in 2008. He scored his fourth goal for Houston in May 2009.

Returning to San Jose (2009–2021)

Wondolowski was traded back to the San Jose Earthquakes in June 2009. This move gave him more chances to play. He appeared in 14 games and scored 3 goals for San Jose that year.

Becoming a Top Scorer

Wondolowski had an amazing season in 2010. He led Major League Soccer in scoring with 18 goals in 26 games. This helped San Jose reach the MLS Playoffs. He won his first MLS Golden Boot award for being the league's top scorer. He also scored a winning goal in the playoffs against New York.

In 2011, he scored two goals in one game against FC Dallas. He finished the season with 16 goals. This tied him for first place in scoring, but he lost the Golden Boot on a tie-breaker. San Jose gave Wondolowski a new contract in February 2012.

MVP Season and Records

Wondolowski was chosen for the 2012 MLS All-Star Game against Chelsea. He scored a goal in that game. On October 6, 2012, he became the San Jose Earthquakes' all-time leading goal-scorer. He scored three goals in that game, which was his fourth time scoring a hat-trick. That season, he also tied the MLS record with 27 goals in one season. He became the first MLS player to win the Player of the Month award four times in a single season.

Wondolowski in 2013

His goal scoring slowed a bit in 2013, with 13 goals. This might have been because he played most of the year with a broken foot. In August 2014, Wondolowski became only the third MLS player to score ten or more goals for five seasons in a row. He finished 2014 with 14 goals, leading the Earthquakes in scoring for the fifth year in a row.

Milestones and Retirement

On May 24, 2015, Wondolowski scored his 100th goal in MLS play. He was only the ninth player in MLS history to reach this milestone. In September 2016, he scored his tenth goal of the season. This made it his seventh season in a row with ten or more goals. He was the only player in league history to do this for more than five seasons in a row.

On July 4, 2017, Wondolowski set a new record for most starts for the San Jose Earthquakes. He also tied the league record for most goals scored away from home. He scored two goals in a U.S. Open Cup game in July 2017. This helped the Earthquakes reach the Cup semifinals.

In August 2017, Wondolowski became the first player to score 10 or more goals in 8 seasons in a row. He received his seventh Team MVP award in October 2017. On May 18, 2019, Wondolowski scored four goals against the Chicago Fire. This tied and then broke Landon Donovan's MLS goal-scoring record. He scored his 148th goal in his 338th MLS game.

On November 7, 2021, Wondolowski scored his 171st MLS goal in his final professional match. He announced his retirement after the game.

Playing for the United States

Wondolowski at a ceremony with the U.S. Navy in June 2014

After his great 2010 season, Wondolowski was called to train with the United States men's national soccer team. He played his first game for the national team on January 22, 2011, against Chile. In May 2011, he was chosen for the U.S. team for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

In 2012, Wondolowski was part of the U.S. team for friendly games and World Cup qualifiers. On July 5, 2013, he scored his first goal for the national team against Guatemala. Four days later, he scored three goals in the first half against Belize. He continued his scoring streak with two goals against Cuba. On February 1, 2014, he scored two more goals against South Korea.

Wondolowski was chosen as one of the 23 players for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played as a substitute in games against Portugal and Belgium. In the game against Belgium, he had a chance to score a goal but missed. Belgium won the game in extra time. Wondolowski later said he felt bad about missing that chance. He was also chosen for the Copa América Centenario in 2016.

About Chris Wondolowski

Chris has a brother, Stephen Wondolowski, who is also a professional soccer player. Chris is part Native American through his mother, Janis Hoyt. She was born into the Kiowa tribe from Oklahoma, and Chris is also a member of this tribe. His tribal name, Bau Daigh, means "warrior coming over the hill." His family on his father's side came from Warsaw, Poland.

Chris married his wife, Lindsey, in 2009. They have two daughters, Emersyn, born in 2013, and Brynlee, born in 2016. In 2013, Chris was honored by the Division II 40th Anniversary Tribute Team for his time at Chico State.

Career Statistics

Club

International

International goals
Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first.

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	July 5, 2013	Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, United States	Guatemala	3–0	6–0	Friendly
2	July 9, 2013	Jeld-Wen Field, Portland, United States	Belize	1–0	6–1	2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup
3				2–0
4				3–1
5	July 13, 2013	Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, United States	Cuba	3–1	4–1	2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup
6				4–1
7	February 1, 2014	StubHub Center, Carson, United States	South Korea	1–0	2–0	Friendly
8				2–0
9	April 2, 2014	University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, United States	Mexico	2–0	2–2	Friendly
10	July 3, 2015	Nissan Stadium, Nashville, United States	Guatemala	4–0	4–0	Friendly
11	October 7, 2016	Estadio Pedro Marrero, Havana, Cuba	Cuba	1–0	2–0	Friendly

Awards and Achievements

San Jose Earthquakes

• Supporters' Shield: 2005, 2012

Houston Dynamo

• MLS Cup: 2006, 2007

United States National Team

• CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2013

Individual Awards

• MLS Golden Boot: 2010, 2012 (Award for top scorer)
• MLS Best XI: 2010, 2011, 2012 (Named one of the best 11 players in the league)
• Major League Soccer MVP: 2012 (Most Valuable Player)
• MLS All-Star: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2019 (Chosen to play in the All-Star game)
• CONCACAF Gold Cup top goalscorer: 2013
• MLS 25 Greatest: (2020, named one of the best 25 players in the first 25 years of MLS)
• MLS 100 goals club
• MLS 400 Games Club
• San Jose Sports Hall of Fame: 2023

Records

• MLS All-Time Leading Goalscorer
• San Jose Earthquakes All-Time Leading Goalscorer

See also

In Spanish: Chris Wondolowski para niños