Normally a starter, Wondolowski came off the bench for just the second time this season in the Quakes’ 3-1 victory at Minnesota United last Saturday. He converted the team’s second penalty in the second half.

That was the former United States international’s second goal of the season and 136th of his MLS career, which puts him nine behind all-time leader Landon Donovan, who has 145.

“It was nice to come in full of energy,” Wondolowski told the San Jose Mercury-News. “I wanted to prove myself and just help the team.”

With only four days between matches, San Jose head coach Mikael Stahre might have already planned to rotate the 35-year-old striker back into his starting lineup on Wednesday regardless of Saturday’s performance.

Even so, the Earthquakes have faced a relatively light workload early in the season and will play only their 10th game on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, the Whitecaps will be partaking in their 12th match. This will be their sixth at BC Place.

In their most recent match, head coach Carl Robinson believed his side was deserving of all three points on Friday night against the Houston Dynamo, when they outshot the visitors 15-9 and led 6-4 in efforts on target.

Instead, the Whitecaps had to settle for a 2-2 draw after twice coming from a goal down, tying it for good through Kendall Waston’s goal in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time.

“Anyone watching that game knows we should have won today,” Robinson told The Province. “Football’s cruel, sometimes, but what I take away from that is twice, they showed tremendous heart. We never give in. Last kick of the game, it’s the best time to score.”

Whitecaps forward Kei Kamara picked up an assist in the match, his first start since sustaining an adductor strain. He’s scored three goals this season with his new club but hasn’t hit the net for Vancouver since March.