Eric Wynalda
Eric Wynalda (born June 9, 1969 in Westlake Village, California) is an American soccer player, the all-time leading scorer for the US National Team. Wynalda scored the first goal ever in Major League Soccer in 1996 and was elected to the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2004.
After playing for San Diego State University, Wynalda became the first American-born player to play for a Bundesliga club. One of the first Americans to make a name for himself in European soccer, he played in Germany for FC Saarbruecken (1992-1994) and FC Bochum (1994-1996). In the 1994 World Cup, Eric scored on a free kick as the United States tied Switzerland. He 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 DC United. He was named US Soccer Athlete of the Year that year. In 1998, Eric participated in his second World Cup. He was loaned out to 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, where he finished his career.
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 Hall of Fame in 2004. Eric is currently a TV broadcaster for ESPN.