Eric Wynalda

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Wynalda grew up in Westlake Village, California, of German and English ancestry. As a child his team the Westlake Wolves, with Eric's father Dave as the head coach, won the state championship in AYSO soccer. That year Wynalda scored more goals than the entire division his team played in combined (58 goals in 16 games). He attended Westlake High School and was a three time All State selection with the school's boys soccer team and a youth club teammate of fellow national team player Cobi Jones. Wynalda attended San Diego State University from 1987 to 1989 where he played for the Aztecs men's soccer team, scoring 34 goals and assisting on 25 others during his three seasons. His freshman year, SDSU went to the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship game where it lost to the Bruce Murray-led Clemson Tigers. While at SDSU, he also played two seasons with the local semi-pro San Diego Nomads of the Western Soccer Alliance.

In Their Own Story

Leading up to the 1990 FIFA World Cup, Wynalda signed a contract with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF). After the World Cup, Wynalda signed as an on loan player from USSF with the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks. In August 1992, USSF loaned Wynalda to Bundesliga club 1. FC Saarbrücken for $45,000. When he arrived at Saarbrücken, he became the first American-born player to play for a top level German club. He had an immediate impact, scoring eight goals in the first half of the season where he played all 17 matches. This led Saarbrücken to purchase Wynalda's contract from USSF for $405,000. In the second half of the season he added one more goal in 15 matches. By the end of the season Saarbrücken was last in the league and became relegated. Wynalda scored 14 goals and had 25 assists in the 1993–94 season of the 2. Bundesliga. After the end of the season he was transferred for $850,000 to second division winners VfL Bochum which as such were promoted to the Bundesliga. There Wynalda remained without goal in his 22 matches of the 1994–95 season and Bochum was relegated. A hernia operation on August 30 limited his tally in the ensuing 2. Bundesliga season to seven matches mid-season – none of those for the full 90 minutes – where he scored two goals. Bochum, after finishing the league first, was promoted again.

Reader's Guide

Wynalda returned to the States in 1996, signing with Major League Soccer (MLS). The league allocated Wynalda to the San Jose Clash. On April 6, 1996, Wynalda scored the first goal in league history in its inaugural game as the Clash beat D.C. United 1–0. He was named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year for 1996. Wynalda was loaned out to Club León in Mexico in 1999. He tore both the ACL and medial meniscus on his left knee while with Leon, which put him out of action for several months. After missing the first eleven games of the 1999 season, the Clash traded Wynalda to the Miami Fusion on June 1, 1999. On July 7, 2000, the Fusion turned around and traded Wynalda to the New England Revolution along with future draft considerations for defender Ivan McKinley. In February 2001, the Revolution re-signed Wynalda, but would deal him to the Chicago Fire on May 3, 2001 for John Wolyniec and a third-round pick in the 2002 MLS SuperDraft. Despite the season being underway when he arrived, Wynalda would end up as the Fire's leading scorer for 2001, recording 10 goals and 5 assists in MLS Play. The Fire waived Wynalda on January 15, 2002. In 2002, Wynalda attempted to join the Los Angeles Galaxy, announcing that he planned to retire with the team. However, the negotiations with the Galaxy did not work out and he signed for the Charleston Battery of the USL First Division. Wynalda joined the team only to tear his anterior cruciate ligament in a pre-season match. He elected to retire from professional soccer and became a broadcast announcer.

Did You Know?

• Wynalda was the all-time leading goal scorer for the United States national team until 2008, finishing with 34 goals in 106 appearances.
• Wynalda earned the nickname 'Eric the Red Card' for his fiery play, and became the first U.S. player to be ejected from a World Cup match in 1990 against Czechoslovakia.
• Wynalda was named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year for 1996 and was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2004.