Eric Wynalda became the ninth member of the U.S. national team preparing for the 1996 Gold Cup to sign with Major League Soccer.
Wynalda, who will play for either the San Jose Clash or Los Angeles Galaxy, has spent the last four seasons in Germany, first with Saarbruecken and more recently with Bochum. With both clubs, he has played in the German First and Second Divisions.
With 18 career international goals in 65 appearances, Wynalda is second on the all-time scoring list behind Bruce Murray (21 goals).
Wynalda, who missed much of the first half of the 1995-96 season, scored two goals for Bochum late in the fall — his first two goals since joining Bochum after the ’94 World Cup. Bochum finished the fall campaign in first place in the German Second Division. His 23 goals in four years are the most by an American player in the German pro ranks.
“I’m tremendously excited about the opportunity to play my sport in my country,” said Wynalda. “And I’m hoping to do great things in Major League Soccer.”