6 minute read
WONDO
Naysayers call Chris Wondolowski’s scrappy goals lucky, but is it possible to be lucky 103 times since 2010? A retrospective of his career thus far reveals the story of a man’s tireless work ethic and the eventual fruits of that labor.
Some may wonder what drives the face of a franchise to walk the stadium after each home game and sign autographs for as many eager fans as he can until a handler finally ushers him into the locker room?
He certainly doesn’t have to. Fans would likely love him regardless. He’s scored enough goals to cement his status as one of the club’s greats, possibly its greatest. But Chris Wondolowski —Wondo to the fans—continues to sign pieces of paper and articles of clothing because he hasn’t let go of what such moments can mean to the person on the other end of that exchange.
“I remember being the kid in the stands,” reveals the Danville native while seated on a couch inside a quiet and empty Avaya Stadium post practice. “I was going to games at Spartan Stadium when they were the Clash. I remember when Troy Dayak and guys like that would sign autographs after the game. I thought that was the coolest thing ever—it really made an impression on me.”
On the field, Wondo is propelled by an undeniable passion for the game. It’s apparent in his scrappy, poacher style of play (the ball continually seems to find him at just the right time) and in his energetic bursts when he disagrees with a referee’s call (he attributes this largely to nervous energy. “I need to turn that down a bit,” he jokes). And as some defenders will likely tell you, Wondo is relentless. Chelsea’s John Terry said he was a nightmare to cover during the 2012 MLS All Star Game.
What makes Wondo’s story so incredible is that his road to stardom wasn’t a likely series of events. He didn’t train for years with a traveling club team as a teen nor was he courted by tons of scholarship offers from colleges. Quite the opposite: he played multiple sports year-round until he decided to give up baseball to focus fully on soccer. In fact, he was courted by schools more for his ability in track than his skills as a striker. But he chose to stick with the sport, accepting a scholarship to Chico State, where he played from 2001 to 2004.
After a successful college run (where he met his wife Lindsey, an all-conference volleyball player) and a stint with the Chico Rooks, he was selected in the 2005 MLS Supplemental Draft by the San Jose Earthquakes. The moment felt like a dream come true, but looking back, he says he knew there was still a lot more work ahead once he earned that preliminary spot. Little did he know it would take five more years before he’d secure a regular spot in the starting XI.
After just one season with the Quakes, Chris and his teammates migrated from the Bay Area to Texas to become the Houston Dynamo. It was a huge change: he had never lived outside the Bay, and wasn’t used to dealing with the reality of his family living half a country away. In retrospect, he admits it was an eye-opening experience, and though he continued to work for his chance to shine, he never found regular playing time while in Texas.
His transition to the Wondo we now know likely began when he was traded back to San Jose in 2009. The move home offered a better chance for starting time, and he responded with three goals in 14 appearances that year. However, it was the season that followed that proved to be his breakthrough.
Scoring 18 goals in 28 appearances, his offensive explosion in 2010 made him the team’s new focal point. The tally was enough to earn him the MLS Golden Boot, awarded to the league’s highest scorer.
He won the honor again in 2012 during San Jose’s storybook “Goonies” season, which saw the team cobble together several late victories to win the club its second Supporters’ Shield. The year was similarly magical for Wondo, who earned MLS MVP honors as part of a 27-goal season that matched the all-time record set in 1996.
Remembering what was special about that season, Wondo explains, “The brotherhood we had in that locker room showed on the field. I think that drive and fight was what helped us get those results late in those games.”
With 110 career goals, Wondo currently stands as the fifth highest-scoring player in MLS history, and one of only nine players to cross the 100-goal mark. What’s even more impressive is that 103 of those goals have come since that breakthrough 2010 season.
Asked how he was able to break through in meteoric fashion, Chris chalks up the change to perfect timing. “I really had confidence in my ability,” he says. “Confidence is one of those funny things. It kind of snowballs, and you get more and more belief in yourself. When you do that, especially as a striker, special things can happen.” After gaining a chance early in his career to learn from more senior players, like Dwayne De Rosario and Brad Davis, he was able to own the moment when it finally arrived.
In such a fluid game, and especially as a striker, where confidence can sometimes mean everything, Wondo has brought not only an incredible offensive output but has done so with remarkable consistency. As Dominic Kinnear, his head coach at both Houston Dynamo and the Earthquakes, said of Wondo in a profile for Grantland, “Some of his goals look lucky. Every striker gets lucky. But a lot of times, he’s creating his own luck.”
US Men’s National Team coach Jürgen Klinsmann impressed upon him that every day is game day. To Wondo, that means extra shooting drills after every practice and a focus on the match ahead no matter what. “There’s a lot of things that go into being a professional on the field, but there are just as many of those things off the field as well,” he adds.
As much as he hates it, sometimes that means letting bad results go. A notorious competitor and an admitted bad loser, Wondo says losses tend to stick with him well after the final whistle. But thanks to his wife’s 24-hour rule, he’s able to be miserable all he wants for one whole day. “After that,” he says, “I have to move on and get everything sorted.”
Another person who’s helped him let go is his two-year-old daughter Emersyn. Chris admits that becoming a father has helped him realize that, win or lose, he’s still playing the game he loves.
“I think that’s something she’s helped me remember,” he says. “You never know how long you’ll be able to play, so enjoy every moment out there.”
sjearthquakes.com
Instagram: ChrisWondo8
Written by Brandon E. Roos Photography by Daniel Garcia
Interview from issue 8.1, 2016
