Wondolowski named to MLS Best XI

SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski was named to the MLS Best XI for a second consecutive year on Thursday, becoming the first player in club history to receive the honor in back-to-back seasons.

Wondolowski scored eight goals in the team’s final nine games to tie D.C. United’s Dwayne De Rosario for the league lead with 16. He is just the third player in MLS history to lead or tie for the league lead in goals in consecutive seasons, joining Stern John and Carlos Ruiz.

Over the course of two seasons, Wondolowski’s offensive output ranks among the best in league history. He became the ninth player ever to score 15 or more goals in back-to-back seasons with 18 in 2010 to go with his 16 in 2011. That total ranks No. 1 in Earthquakes history over a two-year span while his 16 goals in 2011 are No. 2 all-time in San Jose behind only his 2010 haul.

In addition to his goal total, Wondolowski had a career-high three assists. For his overall effort in 2011, he won the inaugural Castrol Index Player of the Year award, a Moneyball-esque system that utilizes data collected during the course of the season to measure player values. Wondolowski earned a rating of 9.31 out of 10, edging out Seattle’s Alvaro Fernandez and New York’s Thierry Henry, the next two on the list.

After closing 2010 with a flurry of goals, Wondolowski started his 2011 campaign by building on a record that started on Sept. 15, 2010. From that day to March 20, 2011, he scored 12 consecutive goals for the Earthquakes, a stretch that included five game-winning goals, two hat tricks and two braces. The streak culminated with a pair of goals in the Quakes’ second game of 2011, a 2-0 win against FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park on March 26. Wondolowski recorded three multi-goal games in 2011, also striking twice against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on July 20 and at New England on Oct. 8.

Before departing for national team duty in June, Wondolowski was tied for second on the MLS scoring charts with six goals. He missed four games while representing the United States in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, but returned to the team in July and got back on the scoresheet with his brace against Vancouver. Shortly after, he earned his first MLS All-Star selection and a trip to New York to take on Manchester United.

Wondolowski’s next goal, an 87th-minute equalizer at Toronto FC, started a stretch in which he would score eighth times over the Quakes’ final nine games. During that run, he passed Landon Donovan for No. 2 on the club’s all-time scoring chart with a goal against Sporting Kansas City on Oct. 1 at Buck Shaw Stadium.

Over the course of the season, Wondolowski tied for the league lead in game-winning goals with five and was a joint-leader for road goals with nine.

WONDOLOWSKI’S 2011 TIMELINE:

Jan. 4 – Joins US National Team camp in Carson, Calif.
Jan 22 – Starts and plays 60 minutes for USMNT in 1-1 draw vs. Chile
Feb. 7 – Inks new contract with San Jose
March 26 – Scores brace vs. FC Dallas to extend consecutive goals scored streak to 12
April 23 – Plays in 50th career game with San Jose
June 4 – Plays 45 minutes as a substitute vs. No. 1 ranked Spain
June 7-14 – Sees CONCACAF Gold Cup action vs. Canada, Panama and Guadeloupe
June 24 – Nominated for ESPY Award, Best MLS Player
July 27 – Plays 45 minutes in second half vs. Manchester United in AT&T MLS All-Star Game
Aug 6 – Plays in 100th career MLS game
Oct. 1 – Passes Landon Donovan for No. 2 on the club’s all-time goals list with his 33rd
Oct. 22 – Scores in fifth straight game to tie Dwayne De Rosario for MLS lead with 16 goals
Nov. 3 – Named Castrol Index Player of the Year
Nov. 10 – Named to MLS Best XI