San Jose Earthquakes to exercise Chris Wondolowski contract option - sources

The San Jose Earthquakes have picked up the option on forward Chris Wondolowski for the 2019 season, according to sources with direct knowledge of the situation.

The San Jose Mercury News was the first to report that Wondolowski will return in 2019.

The next time he scores, Wondolowski will equal Landon Donovan's record of 145 career MLS regular season goals. There is one game remaining in the 2018 campaign, an away match next weekend against the Seattle Sounders. But even if Wondolowski doesn't equal the mark this season, he looks set to stick around to equal and perhaps break the record in San Jose colors next year.

Wondolowski, 35, had hoped to equal Donovan's mark last Sunday, but was unable to find the net in the Quakes' 0-0 draw with fellow strugglers the Colorado Rapids.

The Danville, California native has spent the bulk of his career with the Quakes. He was drafted 41st by San Jose in the 2005 MLS Supplemental Draft, and moved with the team to Houston as the Quakes were relocated following the 2005 campaign.

Wondolowski scored just four goals over the next four seasons with the Dynamo, but his career took off after getting traded to the reconstituted Quakes in 2009, winning the league's MVP award in 2012 after scoring a record-tying 27 goals in one season.

His 10 goals this season marked the ninth consecutive campaign that he has reached double-digits in goals.

An international level, Wondolowski has scored 11 goals for the U.S. in 35 appearances.