When Jurgen Klinsmann released his 26-man roster for the US national team's upcoming World Cup Qualifiers on Sunday, one of the selections that instantly sparked plenty of debate was that of veteran San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski.
There were those who questioned the wisdom of Klinsmann calling the two-time MLS Golden Boot winner when other players appear to be in better form, but the German coach had an answer ready for his critics.
Klinsmann held a Facebook Q&A on Monday afternoon, and in it he stated how valuable Wondolowski is to the Americans' cause. Klinsmann rates Wondolowski not only because of what the San Jose Earthquakes striker can do in games, but also because of the other intangibles that Wondolowski brings to the table.
"Wondo is for us an extremely important player, and not only on the field, also off the field," said Klinsmann. "He is a guy that runs the locker room, he's a guy that pushes the other players, especially younger players. When you have a player like Wondo or a player like Kyle Beckerman or other experienced players, older players, then it's not all about what happens right away on the field.
"It's also about what happens the whole day off the field, so when you get a guy like Wondo, you know you get somebody that really pushes the environment. That's why we're extremely thrilled and happy to have Wondo always with us becuase he's an absolutely team player."
On the field, Wondolowski has cooled off after starting the 2016 MLS season with seven goals in eight games. His only two goals since then came in a two-game stretch at the end of July, but he is just one strike away from putting together a seventh consecutive season with at least 10 goals. He currently sits fourth on the all-time MLS scoring charts with 118 goals in 251 appearances.
The 33-year-old Wondolowski, who has scored 10 goals in 34 USMNT caps, will be looking to help the US advance to the final round of CONCACAF's World Cup Qualifying campaign in the coming days. The Americans first visit St. Vincent & the Grenadines on Sept. 2 before returning home to host Trinidad & Tobago in Jacksonville, Florida four days later.
