San Jose Earthquakes star forward Chris Wondolowski led his team to a rare season-opening win by extending his franchise-record goal scoring streak.
Wondolowski will try to add to that Saturday against his former team, the Houston Dynamo, as the Earthquakes seek their first 2-0 start in team history when they play at San Francisco's AT&T Park.
Wondolowski finished tied for the league lead with 16 goals in 2011 by tallying six over the final five games. That surge, though, couldn't help the Earthquakes earn a second straight playoff berth as they finished eight points behind New York for the final spot.
San Jose got its quest to return to the postseason off to a strong start last weekend as Wondolowski scored in the 15th minute during a 1-0 victory over New England.
"It's a good stepping stone," Wondolowski told the team's official website. "It's always good to win the game and be above .500, whether it's one game or 10 games in. It's nice to get rolling."
The Earthquakes earned their first season-opening win since 2003 at Buck Shaw Stadium, but will head to San Francisco to take part in a doubleheader that concludes with a match between the Olympic squads of Mexico and Senegal.
In this game, San Jose will face the franchise that was created when the original Earthquakes were put on hiatus following the 2005 season.
The Dynamo won MLS titles in 2006 and 2007 - with Wondolowski playing a combined 22 games - and fell to Los Angeles in last year's championship. The striker was traded to San Jose in June 2009.
Houston got its quest to return to the finals off to a positive start with a 1-0 victory at Chivas USA on Sunday. Andre Hainault gave his team its first season-opening win since 2006 with a goal in extra time.
"I don't think we stole a victory but it always feels like it when you score in stoppage time," Hainault said. It feels nice, but it's one game. We've got 33 left, so we've got a long way."
Like San Jose, Houston has never won its first two games. The Dynamo had their best start in 2010, opening 2-1-1, but are playing their first seven games on the road while waiting for the opening of the new BBVA Compass Stadium on May 12.
Though they're healthy heading into this game, defender Kofi Sarkodie is training with the U.S. Olympic squad. Earthquakes defender Ike Opara is also with that team.
Saturday's game marks the only meeting between the clubs this season. The all-time series is tied 4-4-1, but San Jose is 3-1-1 in its five home matchups.
Steven Lenhart and Simon Dawkins scored goals during a 2-0 victory at Buck Shaw on June 4. The Dynamo denied the Earthquakes a season sweep with a 2-1 home victory Sept. 17.
