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Eric Wynalda (born June 9, 1969 in Fullerton,
California|Fullerton, California) is a former
American soccer striker|forward, the all-time
leading scorer for the United States men's
national soccer team|U.S. National Team. Wynalda
scored the first goal ever in Major League Soccer
in 1996 and was elected to the National Soccer
Hall of Fame in 2004.

Wynalda grew up in Westlake Village,
California|Westlake Village, California. After
playing for San Diego State University, he earned
his first cap against Costa Rica national football
team|Costa Rica on February 2, 1990. Later that
year, Wynalda played in his first Football World
Cup 1990|World Cup and then became the first
American-born player to play for a Bundesliga
(football)|Bundesliga club. One of the first
Americans to make a name for himself in European
soccer, Wynalda played in Germany for 1. FC
Saarbrücken (1992-94) and VfL Bochum (1994-96).
In the Wc|1994, Eric scored on a free kick as the
United States tied Switzerland national football
team|Switzerland. He also played in the Ca|1995,
where he was named to the all-tounrnament team
after scoring against Chile national football
team|Chile and Argentina national football
team|Argentina.

Wynalda came back to the States in 1996, signing
with Major League Soccer and the San Jose Clash.
On April 6, 1996 Wynalda scored the lone goal in
the league's first game as the Clash beat D.C.
United. He was named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the
Year that year. 

However, Wynalda's MLS career never lived up to
expectations, as the ten goals he scored in his
first season he matched only once, in his last. In
1998, Eric participated in his third Football
World Cup 1998|World Cup, becoming only the third
US player (Tab Ramos, Marcelo Balboa) to do so. He
was loaned out to Club Leon|Leon in Mexico in
1999, and was traded by the Clash to the Miami
Fusion later that year. In 2000, Wynalda was
traded to the New England Revolution, and in 2001,
to the Chicago Fire (soccer)|Chicago Fire, where
he finished his career, ending up with a total of
just 34 MLS goals (plus two in the playoffs).

Wynalda retired from the US National Team as its
all-time leading scorer with 34 goals in 106
appearances. He was named the Honda US Player of
the Decade for the 1990s and elected to the
National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2004. Eric is
currently a TV broadcaster for ESPN.