TORONTO – You could hardly blame Chris Wondolowski for feeling like a ravenous shark who can see the blood in the water whenever he plays against Toronto FC.
The veteran San Jose Earthquakes forward has feasted on TFC in the past, scoring eight goals and tallying a pair of assists in nine games against the Reds.
A model of consistency over the past eight Major League Soccer seasons, Wondolowski, 34, has 11 goals this campaign, including one in San Jose’s previous game, a 3-0 win over the L.A. Galaxy. It was the 64th away goal of Wondolowski’s MLS career, making him the all-time league leader (surpassing Landon Donovan). With 132 career MLS goals, he is one behind Jaime Moreno for third on the all-time list, and two behind Jeff Cunningham for second.
Wondolowski will try add to those impressive totals, and build upon his well-earned reputation as a “TFC killer,” when the Earthquakes take on the Reds at BMO Field on Saturday evening.
Toronto defender Steven Beitashour knows all about Wondolowski, having played with the forward during his stint with San Jose from 2010 to 2013. Beitashour likens his former teammate to Mexican international Javier (Chicharito) Hernandez, someone who defenders typically find so elusive off the ball.
“You look way for a second to see where the ball is and you think you’re marking him, and then all of sudden he’s five to 10 feet away from you,” Beitashour said. “He doesn’t stop moving, and that’s one of his special traits, along with his finishing when the ball comes to him.
“It doesn’t look like he’s doing anything, but he’s always moving. He’s not the fastest. He’s not going to sprint by you, and he won’t dribble and juke around you like Sebastian [Giovinco]. But he’s constantly moving, and he pulls you out of position, and all of sudden he darts into open spaces with a perfectly-timed run. It sucks playing against him.”
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Toronto coach Greg Vanney described Wondolowski as an intelligent forward, who has a great anticipation and understanding of pockets of open spaces and how to exploit them.
“He’s clever about his timing and getting into spaces, operating in the spaces of uncertainty for defenders where he’s out of their vision and they lose track of him,” Vanney said.
You won’t see Wondolowski score many highlight reel goals, but he is a classic finisher. Get him the ball, and he’ll somehow find a way to score.
“He does a good job of making good contact. He doesn’t care how he finishes, he just tries to put it on goal. I’ve seen him score twice with his thigh this season,” Vanney said.
Toronto captain Michael Bradley has played against Wondolowski in MLS, and alongside him on the U.S. national team, and has seen firsthand how the Earthquakes forward can give opposing defenders a false sense of security.
“He can give you this idea that he’s not paying attention, or he’s not really into it, but in almost every case it’s his way of lulling you to sleep, and making sure that in the decisive moments when there’s a goal to be score that he’s there,” Bradley said.
“His goal scoring record in the league is just about without comparison.”
Wondolowski’s deceptiveness and slippery style is what makes him so dangerous in the final third of the pitch.
“He can vary between being very busy and active, and then sometimes drifting away” Vanney said. “He’s busy and active to help the team to create the initial [attacking] moment, but then moves into a position where you lose track of him and then he shows up [in a scoring position].”
What’s the key to stopping him, or, at the very least, minimizing the damage he can do? Beitashour argues you have to cut off the service to him – let him have the ball 30 to 40 yards from your goal to make sure his supply line is cut off when he’s near the box.
“It’s not necessarily what he does, it’s what his teammates do, the service. He feeds off that,” Beitashour said. “The prevention starts from winning the battles out wide and dee in the midfield, and not even letting him get the ball.
“Stay tough tight with a hand on him. The second your hand gets off him, he’s 10 feet away from you.”
Wondolowski’s trophy cabinet is full of individual honours. He was named league MVP in 2012 when he bagged an incredible 27 goals. Twice he’s won the Golden Boot as the league’s top scorer, and he’s a four-time all-star.
Yet, the California native carries himself with a great deal of humility, shunning the trappings of stardom that comes with being one of the greatest goal scorers in league history.
“He’s a very down to earth guy. He’s not your typical super star — ‘I’m too good to talk to you’ kind of mentality. He’s very friendly, and easy to talk to,” Beitashour said.
NOTES: Toronto can officially clinch a playoff spot with a win against San Jose and if one of a number of other scenarios unfold, including the Montreal Impact dropping points against the New England Revolution on Saturday… The previous meeting between TFC and San Jose was last July when the Reds lost 2-1 in a game that saw the Earthquakes play most of the second half with only nine men… San Jose leads the all-time series against Toronto, with five wins and four draws in 13 contests…
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