SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Chris Wondolowski is the only player in MLS history to reach the 10-goal plateau in six consecutive seasons.
At the age of 33, is it fair to expect San Jose’s Mr. Consistency to simply churn out yet another double-digit scoring season?
“I never assume anything about Chris, just because he’s proved me wrong for so many years,” Earthquakes coach Dominic Kinnear told reporters Friday, ahead of their season opener at home Sunday against the Colorado Rapids (3 pm ET, MLS Live). “In saying that, he’s a good finisher, and forwards in this league do get chances. And I think when that happens with Chris, he’s going to score goals. I would be surprised if he didn’t [reach 10 goals].”
The last time Wondolowski was held to single digits was 2009, before he established himself as a starter under then-coach Frank Yallop. After tallying 16 goals in Kinnear’s return season to San Jose -- becoming the ninth player to join the MLS Century Club -- the Quakes’ captain is once again willing to shoulder the responsibility of serving as the lynchpin of San Jose’s offense.
“I always have expectations and goals that I set for myself,” Wondolowski said. “First and foremost is wins and things of that nature. But I definitely have personal goals that I’ve set for myself, because I’ll definitely find myself on a few chances, and I think 10 is a reasonable [goal].”
There is potential reason for caution, if preseason results are any kind of guide. The Quakes scored only four goals in six games against professional clubs, and were shutout by all three MLS opponents -- New England, Houston and LA -- during the month of February. Even including wins against three amateur sides, Wondolowski has not found the back of the net thus far in 2016.
“No,” was Wondolowski’s simple answer when asked if he was worried. “That’s why you have preseason. . . . The thing that we were worried about was the chances that we created. We created a lot of chances. A few of those goals, one or two were called offsides, but we weren’t, one [was] a foul. So I think the numbers can be skewed one way or another, but that’s why we’re not really worried about having zero goals against those three [MLS opponents].”
By not taking part in the US national team’s January camp for the first time in a half-decade, Wondolowski was able to participate in the Quakes’ entire preseason preparations, acclimating to newcomers such as returning Quake Simon Dawkins and Panamanian international Alberto Quintero and deepening his partnership with Quincy Amarikwa, who scored six goals in just 17 games last season after joining San Jose midseason.
Amarikwa could play a key role in how Wondolowski fares. A bulldog in a 5-foot-9 frame, Amarikwa’s dirty work in the center of the pitch helps open up holes in opposing defenses; historically, Wondolowski has often needed no more than a few inches’ worth of clearance to hammer home a goal.
With Dawkins and Quintero in the fold, a recovering Innocent on the pitch -- plus a full season of Anibal Godoy organizing things at the base of the midfield -- this is arguably the most firepower a Quakes team has boasted since 2012. That club set a San Jose franchise record with 72 goals.
“On paper, yes. I think we have more weapons, we have more depth than we had last year,” Kinnear allowed. “But like I said, it’s on paper. We haven’t kicked the ball yet. Hopefully by the end of that year, I’m answering that question by saying, ‘All those additions really scored a lot of goals for us and made us a much better team going forward.’”
