HOUSTON -- Chris Wondolowski scores goals.
It’s his primary task as a San Jose Earthquakes forward and he’s done it well since arriving in 2009. In 206 appearances with the Earthquakes, Wondolowski has 113 goals, though Sunday’s strike against the Houston Dynamo was a special one -- not only because it equalized a game that ended in a 1-1 draw.
Wondolowski’s 59th-minute goal was his first against his former team. He spent 3 1/2 years in Houston, appearing in 37 games and scoring 4 goals, before being traded back to his hometown Quakes in 2009.
“Surprised,” said Earthquakes head coach Dom Kinnear after finding out Wondolowski hadn’t scored against Houston. “Because he seems to pop up with goals against everybody, and we talked to him and teased him a little bit about it this week and I’m glad he got his first one against these guys. [It would have] been nice to have got a second one, I don’t care who would have got it, been nice if Chris would have got it, but just nice that he got one tonight.”
After the game Wondolowski was pleased with his goal, but not the result.
“Houston’s always had a special place in my heart. Really spent some great years here and it took a little while, but it’s a good thing,” said Wondolowski on his goal. “A little frustrating to leave with a point, but there are also some positives as well.”
This result ends a long week for the Quakes head coach. Kinnear was also the coach for the MLS All-Stars in Thursday’s game against Arsenal.
“We would do our team in the morning and then the All-Stars in the afternoon,” said Kinnear, on his practice schedule this past week. “I thought I was fully prepared for on this one. And I don’t think my involvement in practice is really the end-all when it comes to a result.”
Entering the game, Kinnear said he wanted, “to make sure the lines of contact between the midfield and to Will [Bruin] or the other guys up front were kind of closed down.” Kinnear noted that he had Wondolowski play under Quincy Amarikwa to aid in that regard.
Looking past this game, Kinnear confirmed that the Earthquakes will welcome the English midfielder Jamie O’Hara this week on trial. The Premier League veteran spent last season with English Championship side Fulham, appearing in 37 games.
