Chris Wingert

Chris Wingert was his usual dependable self in 2010, contributing massively from both the left and right fullback spots to a defensive effort that was the best in MLS history, Real Salt Lake allowing just 20 goals across its 30 contests. While a pair of nagging injuries affected Wingert’s play for the first time since the Utah side rescued him from the Colorado bench midway through 2007, the 28-year-old still grinded through to log almost 2,500 minutes across all competitions, helping lead the Claret-and-Cobalt to a historic regular season effort and the first Group Stage win for an MLS side in CONCACAF Champions League action. And the minutes are indeed starting to add up for Wingert, who finished the season ranked third on the team’s all-time charts in appearances, starts, and minutes played.

We’ll forgive people for overlooking Wingert’s defensive mastery for just a second … after all, he did score a goal last season, his first MLS tally coming right before the half at Chivas USA and helping lift RSL to a key early-season road win. Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal, especially for a defender, but when you go 146 games to start your career without one – the fifth-longest such stretch in MLS history – it tends to overshadow the typical dirty work performed along the flanks. Of course, Wingert did that work game-in, game-out with the usual tenacity and intelligence that has become the norm for the former MAC Hermann Trophy winner and Scholar Athlete of the Year recipient out of St. John’s University. 

MLS Career

2010: Scored a goal and contributed an assist in 2,466 minutes of action (30 GP/ 28 GS) across regular season and Cup competition … Those tallies included one assist in four CONCACAF Champions League contests (all starts, 360 minutes) … Ended season ranked third on RSL’s career charts with 99 appearances; 90 starts (tied w/ Beckerman); and 8,150 minutes played … Missed two games after suffering a hamstring strain early on 4/14 @ SJ in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualifier (sat out of MLS Cup ’09 rematch on 4/17 @ LA and another playoff rematch on 4/24 @ CLB) … Returned to the field off the bench on 5/01 v. TOR (20 minutes) and returned to starting XI on 5/08 v. PHI (3-0 W) … Showed signs of ending his goalless streak on 5/13 v. HOU, when he pushed forward on numerous forays into the box and took a pair of shots in the 3-1 win … Notched a goal seven seasons in the making on 5/22 @ CHV (46+’), his rebound off a Morales shot starting the scoring in RSL’s 2-1 win at The Home Depot Center … The goal snapped the fifth-longest goalless streak to begin a career in MLS history at 146 games … Re-aggravated hamstring injury in late May, forcing him to miss RSL’s 6/02 (USOC qualifier) and 6/05 contests @ DC … Helped RSL achieve MLS history in CCL play, starting and going the distance on 8/18 v. Árabe Unido (2-1 W), 8/25 @ Cruz Azul (4-5 L), 9/15 v. TOR (4-1 W), and 9/28 @ TOR (1-1 T) during the Utah side’s run to the top of the Group A table … Helped get RSL on the board – and its first-ever goal in CCL action – on 8/18 v. Árabe Unido, his looping cross finished by Saborio to equalize just before the half (45’) in the thrilling victory in Sandy … Missed games on 10/09 @ NY, 10/16 v. DAL, and 10/19 v. Cruz Azul (CCL) due to a left quadriceps strain … Made his 13 career postseason appearance on 10/30 @ DAL, returning from injury to log the full 90 minutes of the Western Conf. Semifinal Series Leg One defeat (1-2 L). 

2009: One of 2 players (w/ Borchers) to appear in all 30 of RSL’s contests and ranked 2nd with 27 starts … Tied his single-season high of 3 assists (also in 2008) … Moving up club’s career charts, finishing 2009 with 75 GP (3rd); 68 GS (5th); and 6,165 minutes (4th) in an RSL uniform … Ended the season with a 43-consecutive-match played streak … Recorded a 796-minute streak to begin the 2009 campaign up to match on 5/16 v. KC (tactical substitution) … Assist on 6/20 @ HOU marked his first helper in 16 games … Went the full 90 minutes on 7/11 v. Club America (MEX) in XanGo Cup 2009, which RSL took by a 1-0 margin … Assisted on first professional goal by Raphael Cox on 7/18 @ CLB, the assist helping RSL to its only goal in the 1-3 defeat … Saw 8-game starting streak snapped due to illness on 8/15 v. HOU … Matched single-season high with his third assist, a helper on Findley’s first finish in a 4-0 win v. CHV on 8/26 (85’) … One of two players (w/ Beltran) to register all 90 min. on 10/07 v. CD Guadalajara (Chivas) (MEX), going the distance in a contentious 1-1 draw at Rio Tinto Stadium … Including playoffs, played every minute in RSL’s final 13 contests … Played all 120 minutes in Eastern Conf. Championship on 11/14 @ CHI, making several key defensive plays in helping RSL to a 0-0 draw through regulation and OT and an eventual 5-4 triumph in penalty kicks … Playoffs culminated in his first MLS Cup appearance, a steady 120-minute effort on 11/22 v. LA at Seattle’s Qwest Field … Followed the 1-1 draw in regulation and overtime by keeping RSL’s hopes alive in penalties, burying his 6th round attempt to keep the proceedings going for one more round – which is all it took for RSL to register a 5-4 PK win and the team’s first-ever championship. 

2008: Collected a career-best three assists while starting in all 29 League contests for which he was eligible (red card suspension for 7/12 match v. CLB) … Was shown first red card of his career on 7/03 v. HOU … Started and went all 90 minutes on 7/09 v. Santos Laguna (MEX) in RSL’s 1-4 loss in the 2008 XanGo Cup … Scored RSL’s lone goal on 7/23 in 1-2 international friendly loss v. Deportivo Saprissa (CRC) at Rice-Eccles Stadium … Notched first assist of 2008 on 7/28 v. TOR, his stellar cross being finished by Olave (63’) in the 2-1 win … Made his 100th career MLS appearance on 8/16 @ HOU … His second assist of the campaign on 9/06 @ LA (Movsisyan, 21’) helped get RSL on the board in an eventual 2-2 draw … Notched single-season best in assists when he tallied his third helper of the campaign on Will Johnson’s MLS Goal of the Year-winning volley (54’) on 10/18 v. FCD in a 3-1 victory … Played all 270 minutes across RSL’s three postseason contests. 

2007: Went from the bench to the starting XI after being acquired by RSL on 7/13/07 from Colorado in exchange for RSL’s 2008 first round and 2009 second round MLS Supplemental Draft picks … Made 22 League appearances overall, with 16 coming in an RSL uniform, while adding a pair of assists … Made RSL debut on 7/14 @ KC … Broke a 56-game streak without an assist on 9/12 @ DC … Added second helper of the campaign in front of his hometown fans on 9/29 @ NY. 

2006: Acquired by Colorado on 1/20/06 in a deal that sent a pair of draft picks to The Crew … Made his Rapids debut on 4/02/06 v. HOU, starting and playing all 90 minutes … Played 10 games for the Rapids first team and nine for the team’s MLS Reserve Division outfit before suffering a mid-season leg injury … Came back to appear in all three of the Rapids’ playoff matches, recording 272 minutes on the field during their march to the Western Conference Final. 

2005: Started 20 of his 27 appearances for CLB during his sophomore MLS campaign … Earned a team-high eight cautions during his second professional season. 

2004: Selected in the second Round (12th overall) by CLB in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft … Appeared in 22 games, earning 16 starts, for CLB after working his way into the lineup as a rookie … Made his MLS debut on 5/01 v. DAL, playing 33 minutes as a sub … Earned his first MLS start on 7/03 v. CHI. 

College

Capped a highly-decorated career at St. John’s University by winning the 2003 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy, college soccer’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy … Played in two NCAA Men’s College Cups in 2001 and 2003 … As the team’s captain, started all 23 games in which he appeared in his senior season in 2003 … Missed the only game of his career while playing for the U.S. U-23 National Team … Became the first player in Division 1 men’s soccer history to win the Hermann Trophy and the NSCAA Scholar-Athlete Award in the same season. 

U.S. National Teams 

U.S. MNT: Earned first “cap” with the full U.S. Men’s National Team on 1/24/09 v. Sweden, playing the final 11 minutes in a 3-2 victory at The Home Depot Center … The appearance concluded his debut camp with the USA’s Senior Team, his first call-up to the U.S. Soccer system since 2004 … U.S. U-23’s: Represented the U.S. at the Under-23 level between 2002 and 2004, appearing in all five games of the 2004 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico – a run that ended with a semifinal loss the “El Tri.” 

High School/Club

Played club soccer for West Chester, Penn. side FC Delco, helping the club to the 2001 U-19 Snickers United States Youth National Championship when he hit the game-winning goal in a 1-0 final victory … Named All-State in New York as both a junior and a senior at St. John the Baptist High School, where he also lettered in tennis, his favorite sport after soccer. 

Personal

The son of Norman and Noreen Wingert … Has one sister, Kerri … His grandfather, Warren Mehrtens, won horse racing's triple crown as a jockey aboard Assault in 1946 … His father, Norm, was also a professional soccer player, a goalkeeper for the NASL Philadelphia Atoms in the 70's … Was a member of the prestigious President's Society, recognizing the top students at St. John's, where he was a Communication Arts major … Enjoys playing the guitar, his favorite genre being rock and his favorite band Led Zeppelin.