February 9th, 2012, saw Chris Wondolowski signing a new contract with the San Jose Earthquakes. Two-time leading MLS goal scorer, Wondolowski's contract terms and payout were not released. John Doyle, General Manager of Soccer Operations, was quoted on the San Jose Earthquakes website as saying, "Chris has been a key member of the club over the past two seasons and we wanted to reward him for his success." Chris himself states, "I'm grateful to the organization for giving me a new contract for a second straight year and look forward to helping the Earthquakes get back to the MLS Cup Playoffs." I'm personally relieved to see him stay with San Jose, and looking forward to seeing him get even stronger in the sport.
Andrew Bedard Memorial Spirit of the Game Award
In 2011, Chris received the Andrew Bedard Memorial Spirit of the Game award. This is given to the Earthquakes player at the end of the soccer season that has a great attitude and is a community leader. It is given from the Soccer Silicon Valley Community Foundation and the San Jose Earthquakes. Chris Wondolowski, while only 29, also racked up the 2011 MLS Best XI award. This young player is exactly what pro sports needs. Level-headed, a tremendous talent on and off the field, and active in his community. I'm looking forward to seeing him leading the Earthquakes into the 2012 season.
2011 Season
The 2011 MLS Season saw Chris Wondolowski leading in goals with 16, 10 more than Simon Dawkins had in the number two spot for the same team and season. He had 109 shots, 31 more than Khari Stephenson in the number two spot. Lastly, Wondolowski had 52 shots on goal, double what the number two Khari Stephenson had. This is why San Jose made the right choice in signing him to another term. I'm guessing that with each passing year with these type of stats, the pay cheque will continue to increase to keep him on league. With major surpassing of the number two team player, you can see how Chris is a force to be reckoned with for the San Jose Earthquakes. You can't undercut talent like that, and what Chris brings to the table is something that is hard to find in the game today.
The San Jose Earthquakes first 2012 game is March 10th at Buck Shaw Stadium against New England. Find it at 7:30PM PST.
Tina Samuels - Tina Samuels specializes in health, animal, and gardening articles. She authored "A Georgia Native Plant Guide".
