Steve Cherundolo Explained

Steve Cherundolo
Full Name:Steven Emil Cherundolo[1]
Birth Date:19 February 1979
Birth Place:Rockford, Illinois, U.S.
Height:1.68m (05.51feet)
Position:Right-back
Currentclub:Los Angeles FC (head coach)
Collegeyears1:1997–1998
College1:Portland Pilots
Years1:1999–2014
Clubs1:Hannover 96
Caps1:370
Goals1:7
Nationalyears1:1997
Nationalteam1:United States U18
Nationalcaps1:4
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalyears2:1998–1999
Nationalteam2:United States U20
Nationalcaps2:25
Nationalgoals2:0
Nationalyears3:1998
Nationalteam3:United States U23
Nationalcaps3:1
Nationalgoals3:0
Nationalyears4:1999–2012
Nationalteam4:United States
Nationalcaps4:87
Nationalgoals4:2
Manageryears1:2014–2015
Managerclubs1:Hannover 96 (U15)
Manageryears2:2015–2018
Managerclubs2:Hannover 96 (U17)
Manageryears3:2021–2022
Managerclubs3:Las Vegas Lights
Manageryears4:2022–
Managerclubs4:Los Angeles FC

Steven Emil Cherundolo (born February 19, 1979)[2] is an American soccer coach and former player who serves as head coach of Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC. A right-back, he was the captain of Hannover 96 of the German Bundesliga, where he spent his entire club career. He represented the United States at the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups.

Early life

Born in Rockford, Illinois, Cherundolo grew up in San Diego, California, and attended Mt. Carmel High School in Rancho Peñasquitos.[3] As a youth, he played for the La Jolla Nomads club team, which won the California state championship six times with him.

Before joining Hannover, Cherundolo enrolled at the University of Portland and played for the Pilots soccer team from 1997 to 1998. In his freshman season, he was the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year.[4]

Playing club career

Cherundolo joined Hannover 96, then playing in the 2. Bundesliga, for the end of the 1998–1999 season and quickly received first-team action, playing in four games his first year. Coming into the 1999–2000 season, Cherundolo established himself at the right back position, starting consistently before suffering a knee injury that kept him out until the end of the season and ended his chances of playing for the U.S. Olympic team. He continued to establish his place in the team during the 2000–2001 season, earning playing time in 18 games, including 10 starts. In the 2001–02 season, he started 30 of 34 games for the team as he helped the team gain promotion to the Bundesliga. Cherundolo maintained his position in the 2002–03 season, starting 33 games for the team, while collecting three assists. In the 2003–04 season, he continued his consistent play, appearing in 33 games for the club. Premier League side Bolton Wanderers agreed to a deal with Hannover for Cherundolo in 2005, but he declined, opting to remain in Germany. He signed another contract extension with Hannover in the summer of 2007.

Cherundolo established himself as a leader at Hannover and was appointed team captain shortly before the start of the 2010–11 season. He set the team record for Bundesliga appearances in the second to last game of the 2012–13 season. As of 2013, Cherundolo was the longest serving player in the Bundesliga.[5] On March 19, 2014, Cherundolo announced his retirement from soccer citing failure to recover from a long-term knee injury as the main reason he left the game.[6]

International career

Cherundolo parlayed his success in the Bundesliga into a role with the United States national team. Cherundolo made his debut against Jamaica on September 8, 1999. Although he was on the roster for the 2002 FIFA World Cup (a late injury replacement for Chris Armas), Cherundolo himself was injured in training shortly before the event began and was unable to play. In the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Cherundolo sustained a knee injury from a tackle that prematurely ended his participation in the tournament. On March 22, 2006, Cherundolo played in a friendly match with the national team against Germany, whose roster included some teammates from Hannover 96. He scored his first international goal in the 4–1 loss.

On May 2, 2006, Cherundolo was named to the U.S. roster for the FIFA World Cup in Germany.[7] On June 12, 2006, for the first time, aged 27, Cherundolo made his debut in a FIFA World Cup match against the Czech Republic, playing in the first half for the U.S., who started the tournament with a 3–0 loss.[8] Five days later, in the second match against Italy (who later won the tournament), Cherundolo played the full 90 minutes, helping the team to a 1–1 draw at Fritz-Walter-Stadion in Kaiserslautern.[9] After a loss against Ghana in the final match in the group, the U.S. was eliminated from the tournament, finishing the group in last place with just one point.[10]

Cherundolo missed the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup due to an injury. He also missed out on the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup due to another injury, but returned to captain the U.S. during the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[11]

Cherundolo was one of seven defenders named to the U.S. squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.[12] He was given the number 6. In the first match of Group C against England, Cherundolo was in the starting lineup and played the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 draw at Royal Bafokeng Stadium.[13] On June 18, he retained his position for the second match, playing in the entire game against Slovenia, which finished in a 2–2 draw, with the U.S. coming back from 2–0 down.[14] In the 48th minute of the match, Cherundolo assisted Landon Donovan who beat Slovenian goalkeeper Samir Handanović with a powerful shot.[15] [16] In the final match of the group, Cherundolo again started at right back as the U.S. beat Algeria with a last-minute winner, scored by Donovan, to finish the group in first place with five points.[17] U.S. would lose in the Round of 16 against Ghana, 2–1 after extra time.[18] Cherundolo was an ever-present figure in this competition for the United States, playing the entire 390 minutes.

Coaching career

Following his retirement announcement, Cherundolo remained with Hannover 96 as an assistant coach for Hannover's amateur team.[19] On April 20, 2015, he was officially promoted to assistant coach of Hannover 96's first team.[20] After the end of the 2014–15 season, Cherundolo became the head coach of Hannover's U–17 academy team.[21]

In January 2018, Cherundolo moved to VfB Stuttgart and became assistant of the new head coach Tayfun Korkut.[22] In November 2018, Cherundolo was named to the coaching staff of the United States national team by interim coach Dave Sarachan.[23]

In an August 2020 interview with the Narrowing the Angle soccer podcast, Cherundolo said he "would love to coach" the US national team and also expressed interest in coaching in Major League Soccer.[24] On August 20, 2020, it was announced that Cherundolo had joined the Germany national youth under-15 football team as an assistant coach.[25]

On March 12, 2021, Cherundolo was named head coach of USL Championship side Las Vegas Lights FC.[26]

Cherundolo was announced as head coach of Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer on January 3, 2022.[27] On October 2, 2022, Cherundolo broke the record for most wins as a first-year head coach in Major League Soccer history with 21 wins after Los Angeles FC defeated the Portland Timbers 2–1. The record was previously held by former Los Angeles FC coach Bob Bradley in 1998 with 20 wins, when Bradley was the head coach of the Chicago Fire. The match also clinched the Supporters' Shield for LAFC, the second in team history, and made Cherundolo the third coach to lead a team to the Shield in his first season in MLS. LAFC would go on to win their first MLS Cup title against the Philadelphia Union in MLS Cup 2022.

Personal life

Cherundolo speaks English and German fluently, having spent his entire professional career in Germany.[28] A popular figure with Hannover fans, he is known as "Dolo" and affectionately nicknamed the "Mayor of Hannover".[29] Cherundolo married Mandy Rosier on New Year's Eve 2009 at the local St. Joseph Catholic parish church in the Hanover district of Vahrenwald-List.[30] [31] [32] After his retirement from soccer, he has resided with his family in Großburgwedel, near Hanover. In 2021, Cherundolo was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame as a player inductee.

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[33]
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupContinentalTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Hannover 962. Bundesliga800080
1999–200012010130
2000–0118010190
2001–0230120321
2002–03Bundesliga33010340
2003–0429020310
2004–0532231353
2005–0622110231
2006–0733230362
2007–0833020350
2008–0917010180
2009–1026110271
2010–1133010340
2011–1222020110350
2012–1320030100330
2013–14200020
Career total3707241002104238

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
United States199910
200000
200180
200210
200350
200460
2005100
200671
200751
200880
200960
201080
2011130
201290
Total872

Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Cherundolo goal

List of international goals scored by Steve Cherundolo
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1March 22, 2006Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany1–41–4Friendly
2November 17, 2007Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg, South Africa1–01–0Friendly

Coaching statistics

Coaching record by club and tenure
TeamNatFromToRecord
Las Vegas LightsJanuary 19, 2021January 3, 2022
Los Angeles FCJanuary 3, 2022present
Total

Honors

Player

Hannover 96

2001–02[34]

United States

2005[35]

Coach

Los Angeles FC

2022

2022[36]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010: List of Players: USA . FIFA . 32 . June 12, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191018131759/https://www.fifadata.com/document/fwc/2010/PDF_BackUp_2010_06_13/FWC_2010_SquadLists.pdf . October 18, 2019.
  2. Web site: Steven Cherundolo: Always on the sunny side . https://archive.today/20120720234703/http://www.bundesliga.de/en/liga/news/2009/index.php?f=142236.php . dead . July 20, 2012 . bundesliga.de . March 4, 2011 .
  3. Web site: All eyes on Germany, World Cup . March 4, 2011 . SignOnSanDiego.com . June 9, 2006.
  4. News: UP soccer begins season. Catholic Sentinel. August 28, 1998.
  5. Web site: Ever-ambitious, Cherundolo hopes to help the U.S. in Brazil . ESPNFC . November 28, 2013 . November 29, 2013 .
  6. News: Cherundolo calls time on outstanding career . . March 19, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714231558/http://www.bundesliga.com/en/liga/news/2013/0000288782.php . July 14, 2014.
  7. Web site: FIFA World Cup of Football : USA Players - Squad 2006. Syvum.com. January 11, 2015.
  8. News: USA 0-3 Czech Republic. BBC Sport. June 12, 2006. January 11, 2015.
  9. News: Nine-man USA hold ten-man Italians. CCN.com. June 17, 2006. January 11, 2015.
  10. Web site: Ghana 2-1 USA. June 22, 2006. BBC Sport. January 11, 2015.
  11. Web site: Defender Cherundolo returns from injury for U.S. in Gold Cup . The Canadian Press . July 1, 2009.
  12. Web site: 2010 FIFA World Cup Roster. U.S. Soccer. 2010. June 12, 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100612042738/http://www.ussoccer.com/Tournaments/FIFA-World-Cup/2010-FIFA-World-Cup/Training-Camp-Roster/100526-Roster.aspx. June 12, 2010.
  13. Web site: England 1:1 (1:1) USA. FIFA.com. June 12, 2010. January 10, 2015.
  14. Web site: Slovenia 2-2 USA. BBC. June 18, 2010. January 10, 2015.
  15. Web site: Landon Donovan leads USA fightback against Slovenia. The Guardian. June 18, 2010. January 10, 2015.
  16. Web site: USA vs Slovenia 2010 World Cup South Africa: Relive the Moment [HD]]. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/p0eeTplJ6zY . 2021-12-22 . live. YouTube.com. June 9, 2011. January 10, 2015.
  17. Web site: USA 1 Algeria 0: match report. The Telegraph. June 23, 2010. January 10, 2015.
  18. News: USA 1–2 Ghana (aet). Fletcher. Paul. June 26, 2010. BBC Sport. July 5, 2010.
  19. Web site: Steven Cherundolo calls it quits . . March 19, 2014.
  20. Web site: Former USMNT DF Steve Cherundolo promoted to assistant manager at Hannover . April 20, 2015 . . April 20, 2015.
  21. Web site: Steve Cherundolo Celebrates Half a Lifetime in Hannover. www.ussoccer.com. en. March 1, 2017.
  22. Web site: Trainer team complete. VfB Stuttgart. January 30, 2018. January 30, 2018.
  23. News: Former USMNT defender joins coaching staff for England and Italy friendlies . . November 3, 2018.
  24. Web site: Episode 55- Steve Cherundolo Interview . narrowingtheangle.libsyn.com . 2020-08-17.
  25. Web site: II. Donald Wine. August 20, 2020. Steve Cherundolo becomes Germany U-15 assistant coach. August 21, 2020. Stars and Stripes FC. en.
  26. Web site: LIGHTS FC ANNOUNCE U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM VETERAN STEVE CHERUNDOLO AS NEW HEAD COACH & AFFILIATION WITH MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER'S LOS ANGELES FC . Lights FC Communications . March 12, 2021 . March 12, 2021.
  27. Web site: LAFC Announces Steve Cherundolo As Head Coach . LAFC.com . 3 January 2022.
  28. Web site: Hannover 96 – Spielerinterview Steven Cherundolo . . March 4, 2011.
  29. Web site: U.S. Cup players get rare visit home . May 21, 2010 . New York Post . March 4, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121021183911/http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/soccerblog/cup_players_get_rare_visit_home_gq7TSaW3MPG3qMctyZheFO . October 21, 2012.
  30. Web site: Player Bio . June 4, 2011 . ussoccer.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110807113552/http://www.ussoccer.com/Teams/MNT/C/Steve-Cherundolo.aspx . August 7, 2011.
  31. News: Festtag im Schneetreiben - Cherundolo heiratet Mandy. Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung. January 4, 2010. de.
  32. News: Ich bete nicht für ein Ergebnis beim Fußballspielen. 2. Katholische Pfarrgemeinde St. Joseph Hanover. August 2010. de. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160109091023/http://www.downloads.bistum-hildesheim.de/20/1914/1/41067848343797328408.pdf. January 9, 2016.
  33. Web site: Steve Cherundolo » Club matches . worldfootball.net . January 3, 2022 . 8 November 2022.
  34. http://www.weltfussball.de/spielplan/2-bundesliga-2001-2002-spieltag/34/ 2. Bundesliga 2001/2002
  35. Web site: CONCACAF Championship, Gold Cup 2005. March 14, 2007. RSSSF.com. January 11, 2015.
  36. Web site: October 2, 2022. LAFC wins 2022 MLS Supporters' Shield. October 2, 2022. Major League Soccer.