Chris Wondolowski facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
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)
Playing position	Forward
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)
National team
2011–2016	United States	35	(11)
Honours Representing  United States Men's soccer CONCACAF Gold Cup Runner-up 2011 United States Winner 2013 United States
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Chris Wondolowski (born January 28, 1983) is a famous American soccer player who used to play as a forward. A forward is a player whose main job is to score goals. He is known for being one of the best goal scorers in Major League Soccer (MLS) history.

Chris was the top scorer in the 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 goals in the league.

He played college soccer for the Chico State Wildcats before joining the San Jose Earthquakes in 2005. He later played for the Houston Dynamo and helped them win the MLS Cup in 2006 and 2007. Chris returned to the Earthquakes in 2009. He is the only player to score ten or more goals in ten seasons in a row. He retired from professional soccer in 2021.

Chris also played for the U.S. national team from 2011 to 2016. He played in three CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments, winning one in 2013. He also represented the U.S. at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Early Life and College Soccer

Chris Wondolowski played soccer in high school at De La Salle High School in Concord. He was a top player there in 2000 and 2001. Local newspapers even named him "Player of the Year" in 2001.

He also played club soccer for teams like Diablo Valley Soccer Club. After high school, Chris went to Chico State University. He had a great college soccer career, scoring 39 goals in 84 games. In 2004, he played for the Chico Rooks and scored 17 goals.

Professional Club Career

Chris Wondolowski started his professional journey with the San Jose Earthquakes. He then moved to the Houston Dynamo and later returned to the Earthquakes, where he became a club legend.

Starting with the Earthquakes (2005)

Chris was picked by the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2005 MLS draft. He played only two MLS games that year. However, he was a top scorer for the Earthquakes' reserve team, scoring eight goals in 12 games.

Playing for Houston Dynamo (2006–2009)

Wondolowski playing for the Dynamo in 2009

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

He helped the Houston Dynamo win two MLS Cup championships in 2006 and 2007. These were big wins for the team. In 2007, he also scored a goal in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.

Returning to San Jose (2009–2021)

In 2009, Chris was traded back to the San Jose Earthquakes. This move gave him more chances to play. He quickly started scoring goals for San Jose.

Becoming a Top Scorer

The year 2010 was a huge year for Chris. He became the top scorer in Major League Soccer with 18 goals. This earned him his first MLS Golden Boot award. He also helped San Jose reach the MLS Playoffs.

In 2012, Chris signed a new contract with San Jose. He was chosen for the 2012 MLS All-Star Game against Chelsea. He even scored a goal in that game! That season, he tied an MLS record by scoring 27 goals. He also became the Earthquakes' all-time leading goal scorer.

Breaking Records

Wondolowski in 2013

Chris continued to set records. In 2014, he became only the third MLS player to score ten or more goals for five seasons in a row. He finished that season with 14 goals.

In 2015, Chris scored his 100th goal in MLS, becoming only the ninth player to do so. By 2016, he had scored ten or more goals for seven seasons in a row. This made him the only player in league history to achieve this for more than five seasons.

In 2017, Chris broke the record for most starts for the San Jose Earthquakes. He also tied Landon Donovan for the most goals scored away from home. He scored two goals in a U.S. Open Cup game, helping his team reach the semifinals. Later that year, he became the first player to score ten or more goals in eight straight seasons.

On May 18, 2019, Chris Wondolowski made history. He scored four goals against the Chicago Fire, breaking Landon Donovan's record for the most goals ever scored in MLS. He finished his career with 171 MLS goals.

Chris played his final professional match on November 7, 2021. He scored his last goal for the Earthquakes in that game before announcing his retirement.

Playing for the United States

Chris Wondolowski also played for the United States men's national soccer team. He was first called up in 2011.

Gold Cup and First Goals

He played in the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. In 2013, he scored his first international goal against Guatemala. A few days later, he scored three goals (a hat-trick) against Belize. He continued his scoring streak with two more goals against Cuba.

FIFA World Cup Experience (2014)

Chris was chosen to play for the United States in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This is a very big tournament where countries from all over the world compete. He played in two games during the tournament.

Copa América Centenario (2016)

He was also part of the U.S. team for the Copa América Centenario in 2016. This was another important international tournament.

Personal Life

Chris Wondolowski has a brother, Stephen, who is also a professional soccer player. Chris is part Native American through his mother. She is from the Kiowa tribe in Oklahoma. Chris is also a member of the Kiowa tribe. His tribal name is Bau Daigh, which means "warrior coming over the hill."

Chris married his wife, Lindsey, in 2009. They have two daughters, Emersyn and Brynlee. In 2013, Chris was honored by Chico State for his great college soccer career.

Career Statistics

Club Goals

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

Chris Wondolowski has won many awards and honors throughout his soccer career:

• 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 (Top Scorer): 2010, 2012
  • MLS Best XI (Best Team): 2010, 2011, 2012
  • Major League Soccer MVP: 2012
  • MLS All-Star: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2019
  • CONCACAF Gold Cup Top Goalscorer: 2013
  • MLS 25 Greatest: (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

Images for kids

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

See also

In Spanish: Chris Wondolowski para niños