Chris Wondolowski is the greatest scorer in MLS history. Numbers back that up. The California-born striker began his career a decade before 2014, but he did not begin scoring goals so early on. After playing DII at Chico State, he was entered into the draft. In the 2005 MLS Supplemental Draft, the San Jose Earthquakes selected Wondolowski in the fourth round, with the No. 41 pick. In 2006, the Quakes folded and relocated to Houston. He and his teammates moved to Houston to play for the Dynamo. He won MLS Cup there in both 2006 and 2007, but did not get many chances to play a role. In 2009, the San Jose Earthquakes came back alive. At this point in time, Wondo had scored just 4 total goals and made just 11 MLS starts across his first 5.5 seasons. Upon his return to San Jose, he was given a chance, and succeeded in a big way. His first full seasons of playing yielded 18, 16, 27 and 11-goal seasons. He made the Best XI and All-Star Team in 2010, 2011 and 2012, while winning two golden boots. In 2012, he was named the MLS MVP for his 27-goal year.
In 2014, at the age of 30, Chris Wondolowski just kept scoring, more consistently than anyone in league history. While he never came close to that MVP campaign, he also did not dip below double-digit goals for the next six years. He scored his first of 14 in '14 with a tally against Real Salt Lake. He scored 11 goals in 35 caps for the United States, including one in an April friendly with Mexico. He scored a brace against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Wondo put another pair past the Portland Timbers later in the season, including an 85th minute game-winning header. His final goal of the season was also versus Portland. He went to the 2014 World Cup with the US, but a brutal moment and miss against Belgium will sadly define his story in the minds of many American fans. The Earthquakes as a whole had a rough season, failing to qualify for the postseason. Regular season team success was scarce for SJ, as Wondo only made two runs to the playoffs after 2014, and four total.
In 2015, it was the same story. Wondolowski scored 16 more goals, the highest number since 2014, but it was not enough for the postseason. The Earthquakes missed by four points. In the second game of the year, he scored a double against the Seattle Sounders. He brought down the ball and scored with a left footed volley, before lacing another one in with the weak foot. He went on a four-game scoring streak, closing it out against Toronto FC. In a 5-0 thrashing of Sporting Kansas City, the MLS all-time leader in scoring added two more, including a peach of a diving header. His season finished with one last goal during a 1-1 draw with the Whitecaps. He became the ninth player in league history to make it to the 100-goal mark in MLS.
Things got out to a hot start in 2016, as No. 8 scored a goal in each of the first three games, opening the season by scoring the lone goal in a win over Colorado with a timed run and casual header. In April, it was another four-game run of scoring, where he defeated SKC 1-0 to close it out. He returned to the All-Star Team in 2016, playing 17 minutes in the loss to Arsenal. Wondolowski scored another 12 goals, but once again his team finished 9th and were nowhere near the playoff line. In 2017, it was 13 goals. He also assisted 8 goals on the year, a career-high. He scored a brace against the Portland Timbers. He turned and fired to the back post, then tucked one in from a tough angle. On Decision Day, he put one past Minnesota United to win 3-2. Finally, Wondo was headed back to the playoffs. It did not last long, as the Whitecaps bounced them 5-0 straight away. He became the first player in MLS history to score 10 goals in eight straight seasons.
In 2018, Wondo's scoring number dropped down to 10. From 2014-2019, he scored between 10-16 goals each season, but interestingly never the same amount twice. The Quakes won the Wooden Spoon handily, finishing last in MLS by a whole 7 points. He opened his account in an early loss to Kansas City, scoring a pretty consolation goal. During a chaotic 4-3 loss to LAFC, Wondo scored a brace. He cut inside and clipped a curler into the bottom right corner. Additionally, he won the battle for the ball and rolled it into a gaping net. The season closed with a set piece tally against the Red Bulls. Coming off such a lifeless season, the Earthquakes ended up four points from the playoff line in 2019. Wondolowski added another 15 goals, bringing his total since 2014 up to 80. Wondo is not a flashy player, but the guy simply knew how to score goals at an elite level. On May 18th, he played one of the greatest games of his career. He dropped four goals on the Chicago Fire. At the 20 minute mark, he slid the first home. The second came from a goalkeeping error, the third a screaming hit into the left-side netting. It ended with a shot guided in at the back post. In the very next game, he scored a brace on Toronto FC. Wondo put two past Orlando as well later in the season, planting the latter into the upper netting. His last goal for San Jose as an every-game starter took place in an October loss to Portland.
In 2020, Chris Wondolowski was afforded one last playoff appearance. His Earthquakes just about snuck into the eighth and final spot. Upon the return of the league with the MLS is Back Tournament, he scored in three straight matches. His minutes dropped greatly, as he became a super sub. All three of these goals came in substitute cameos, scoring against Chicago and RSL with less than 10 minutes of playing time. Towards the end of the year, he returned to starting. A brace against Real Salt Lake and another goal against LAFC finished the season strong with 7 goals. In the playoff match with SKC, he scored his second career playoff goal with a dramatic header at the doorstep, but it was a penalty shootout loss that knocked them out.
Wondo went for one last ride in 2021. He scored a brace against Real Salt Lake in just 18 minutes in the third match of the season, coming back to win singlehandedly. He sprinkled in short appearances and starts throughout the campaign. On November 7, 2021, Chris Wondolowski suited up for his last ever Major League Soccer match against FC Dallas. He took 7 shots in the match, which is the second-most he ever took in a match during his entire career. He and his teammates knew that this was the end, and he was not leaving the pitch without a goal. He got his goal with a left footed stinger go out poetically. He heard "GOAL, San Jo-se!," for the last time. It was his 376th career San Jose match, and his 167th goal. He announced his retirement after the match. Wondo sits atop the all-time MLS goal scoring list, with 171 goals in 413 appearances, a mark that will stay his for a very long time. Landon Donovan is the closest, with 145. Kei Kamara is the closest active player, but he would need to score another 28 to beat it. As one of the best and most consistent goal scorers that MLS has and will ever see, Chris Wondolowski ranks at #4.
YEAR | CLUB | MINUTES | GOALS | ASSISTS |
2021 | SJ | 1,244 | 5 | 0 |
2020 | SJ | 1,275 | 7 | 1 |
2019 | SJ | 1,982 | 15 | 2 |
2018 | SJ | 2,289 | 10 | 5 |
2017 | SJ | 3,041 | 13 | 8 |
2016 | SJ | 2,697 | 12 | 3 |
2015 | SJ | 2,688 | 16 | 2 |
2014 | SJ | 2,340 | 14 | 4 |
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