Wondo Watch is (still) on.
Back in March, Chris Wondolowski scored his first goal of the season, moving into sole control of second place all-time on the MLS scoring chart, 10 behind Landon Donovan. With two games left in the San Jose Earthquakes' 2018 season, Wondo is one goal behind the record.
So we decided to revisit a Discuss topic from March, asking if Wondolowski would break the MLS all-time scoring record this year. How does the panel that opined the first time feel right now about his prospects?
We checked back in with Senior Editors Ben Couch and Nicholas Rosano, Senior Host and Producer Andrew Wiebe and Contributors Charles Boehm, Alicia Rodriguez, Sam Stejskal and Bobby Warshaw, and also solicited a response from Contributor Tom Bogert:
Will Chris Wondolowski tie or break the MLS all-time scoring record in 2018?
BOEHM: Wondo has banged them in at a lower rate than I expected at the season's outset, though at least he's within striking distance heading into these final two weeks. My brain says he'll fall just short, especially since the Quakes must visit playoffs-bound Seattle on Decision Day.
But my heart still believes in Bau Daigh, and is encouraged at the thought of him torching that leaky Colorado defense at Avaya Stadium on Sunday (2 pm ET | TV & Streaming Info). So let's compromise: Wondo ties the record, and leaves us all wondering what he'll decide to do in 2019 this winter.
WARSHAW: My answer stays the same. [Editor's note: Bobby picked him to break the record in 2018.] I'm trying not to think about it because I don’t want anything but unbridled joy when one of the nicest guys in the league breaks the record.
WIEBE: For the record, I hope he breaks it this weekend at home against Colorado. Better not to drag it into 2019, and I want it to happen in San Jose for Wondo and Quakes supporters’ sake. They deserve it after this year. My prediction is that he ties it on Sunday. From there, my heart says he breaks it against the Sounders, but my head says this season is destined to be heartbreaking in every way so we’ll have to keep Wondo Watch going through the winter.
COUCH: I apparently said, several months ago, that “assuming old man health (and continued craftiness) it says here we end it with a new owner.” Probably still fair! I can stick with that.
As for this: “Early results aside, I think the Quakes’ offense registers on the Richter scale more often than not.”
… it’s a real bummer the Internet is forever.
STEJSKAL: My initial prediction that he'd break the record by September didn't end up looking so good... So it went with the Quakes in 2018. I'll amend my pick and say Wondo ties the record this year. He'll score against Colorado but get shutout against Seattle. Hopefully he'll return to San Jose and make the mark his own in front of the Quakes' faithful in 2019.
RODRIGUEZ: I said he would have to wait until 2019 to break the record, and even though I am still rooting for him to grab it, I still think we need to wait until next season.
ROSANO: I predicted back in March that he'd tie, but not break, the record. Given Wondo's proclivity for scoring against both Colorado and Seattle (he has 11 career goals against each) it's tempting to say he breaks the record this year. But I'd like to get at least one pre/early-season prediction right, so I'm sticking with one more goal and a share of the all-time record when the dust settles on the Quakes' 2018 season.
BOGERT: I wasn't here to be asked in March, but, I wrote down my unprompted prediction anyway where I was exactly correct in not only the amount of goals he'd had so far, but also the games and exact minutes he'd score in!
... Okay, fine, maybe not. But, if anyone had asked, I would have optimistically predicted him to break the record this season, and I still fancy him to do so at this stage. And, for the sake of the San Jose fans who have gone to most home games, I hope he does it this weekend in their home finale.
