Steve Cherundolo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Steve Cherundolo

Cherundolo with VfB Stuttgart in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Steven Emil Cherundolo
Date of birth	(1979-02-19) February 19, 1979 (age 46)
Place of birth	Rockford, Illinois, U.S.
Height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Position(s)	Right-back
Team information
Current team	Los Angeles FC (head coach)
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1997–1998	Portland Pilots
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1999–2014	Hannover 96	370	(7)
International career
1997	United States U18	4	(0)
1998–1999	United States U20	25	(0)
1998	United States U23	1	(0)
1999–2012	United States	87	(2)
Managerial career
2021	Las Vegas Lights
2022–	Los Angeles FC
Medal record Men's Football Representing  United States Winner CONCACAF Gold Cup 2005 Runner-up CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009 Runner-up CONCACAF Gold Cup 2011 Men's Soccer
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Steven Emil Cherundolo (born February 19, 1979) is an American soccer coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for Major League Soccer team Los Angeles FC. Cherundolo played as a right-back. He was the captain of Hannover 96 in Germany. He spent his entire playing career with this club. He also played for the United States in the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups.

Early Life and College Soccer

Steven Cherundolo was born in Rockford, Illinois. He grew up in San Diego, California. He went to Mt. Carmel High School. As a young player, he was part of the La Jolla Nomads club team. This team won the California state championship six times with him.

Before joining a professional team, Cherundolo attended the University of Portland. He played for the Pilots soccer team from 1997 to 1998. In his first year, he was named the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year.

Playing Career: A Club Legend

Cherundolo with Hannover 96 in 2011

Cherundolo joined Hannover 96 in Germany in 1999. At that time, the team was in the 2. Bundesliga, which is Germany's second-highest league. He quickly started playing for the first team. In his first year, he played in four games.

By the 1999–2000 season, Cherundolo became the regular right-back. However, a knee injury kept him out for the rest of that season. He continued to play well in the 2000–2001 season. He played in 18 games, starting 10 of them.

In the 2001–02 season, he started 30 out of 34 games. He helped his team get promoted to the Bundesliga, Germany's top league. Cherundolo kept his starting spot in the 2002–03 season. He started 33 games and made three assists. He continued his strong play in the 2003–04 season, playing in 33 games.

In 2005, a team from England, Bolton Wanderers, wanted to sign him. But Cherundolo chose to stay with Hannover 96. He signed a new contract with the club in 2007.

Cherundolo became a very important leader at Hannover 96. He was named team captain before the 2010–11 season. He set a club record for the most appearances in the Bundesliga. This happened in 2013. At that time, he was the player who had been with one club the longest in the Bundesliga.

On March 19, 2014, Cherundolo announced he was retiring from soccer. He said a long-term knee injury was the main reason.

International Career with the USA

Cherundolo's success in Germany helped him play for the U.S. national team. He played his first game for the U.S. against Jamaica on September 8, 1999.

He was chosen for the 2002 FIFA World Cup team. But he got injured during practice just before the tournament. This meant he could not play. In the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup, he got another knee injury. This ended his part in that tournament early.

On March 22, 2006, Cherundolo played in a friendly match against Germany. He scored his first goal for the national team in this game. The U.S. lost 4–1.

On May 2, 2006, Cherundolo was named to the U.S. team for the FIFA World Cup in Germany. On June 12, 2006, he played in his first World Cup match. He was 27 years old. The U.S. lost 3–0 to the Czech Republic. Five days later, he played the whole game against Italy. Italy later won the tournament. The game ended in a 1–1 tie. The U.S. was eliminated after losing to Ghana.

Cherundolo missed the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup due to an injury. He also missed the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup because of another injury. But he returned to be captain for the U.S. during the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

He was one of seven defenders chosen for the U.S. team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He wore the number 6 jersey. In the first game against England, Cherundolo started and played the full 90 minutes. The game was a 1–1 tie. He also played the entire game against Slovenia, which ended in a 2–2 tie. In that game, Cherundolo assisted Landon Donovan for a goal. In the final group match, Cherundolo started again. The U.S. beat Algeria with a late goal. This win put the U.S. in first place in their group. The U.S. lost to Ghana in the next round. Cherundolo played every minute of all four games for the U.S. in this World Cup.

Coaching Career

After retiring as a player, Cherundolo stayed with Hannover 96. He became an assistant coach for their amateur team. In April 2015, he was promoted to assistant coach for Hannover 96's main team. After the 2014–15 season, Cherundolo became the head coach of Hannover's U–17 youth team.

In January 2018, Cherundolo moved to VfB Stuttgart. He became an assistant coach there. In November 2018, he joined the coaching staff of the U.S. national team.

In March 2021, Cherundolo was named head coach of Las Vegas Lights. This team plays in the USL Championship.

Cherundolo became the head coach of Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer on January 3, 2022. On October 2, 2022, he set a new record. He had the most wins as a first-year head coach in MLS history with 21 wins. His team, Los Angeles FC, also won the Supporters' Shield that year. This award goes to the team with the best regular season record. Cherundolo was only the third coach to win the Shield in his first MLS season. LAFC then went on to win their first MLS Cup title in 2022.

On April 18, 2025, LAFC announced that Cherundolo would leave his role as head coach at the end of the 2025 MLS season.

Personal Life

Steven Cherundolo speaks both English and German very well. This is because he spent his whole professional career playing in Germany. Fans of Hannover 96 really liked him. They called him "Dolo" and also "Mayor of Hannover."

Cherundolo married Mandy Rosier on New Year's Eve in 2009. After he retired from soccer, he lived with his family near Hanover, Germany. In 2021, Cherundolo was chosen to be a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame as a player.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

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.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	March 22, 2006	Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany	Germany	1–4	1–4	Friendly
2	November 17, 2007	Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg, South Africa	South Africa	1–0	1–0	Friendly

Coaching Statistics

Coaching record by club and tenure

Team	Nat	From	To	Record								Ref.
				G	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Las Vegas Lights		January 19, 2021	January 3, 2022	&&&&&&&&&&&&&032.&&&&&032	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023	&&&&&&&&&&&&&041.&&&&&041	&&&&&&&&&&&&&077.&&&&&077	−36	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.75000018.75
Los Angeles FC		January 3, 2022	present	&&&&&&&&&&&&0174.&&&&&0174	&&&&&&&&&&&&&094.&&&&&094	&&&&&&&&&&&&&032.&&&&&032	&&&&&&&&&&&&&048.&&&&&048	&&&&&&&&&&&&0326.&&&&&0326	&&&&&&&&&&&&0202.&&&&&0202	+124	&&&&&&&&&&&&&054.&2000054.02
Total				&&&&&&&&&&&&0206.&&&&&0206	&&&&&&&&&&&&0100.&&&&&0100	&&&&&&&&&&&&&035.&&&&&035	&&&&&&&&&&&&&071.&&&&&071	&&&&&&&&&&&&0367.&&&&&0367	&&&&&&&&&&&&0279.&&&&&0279	+88	&&&&&&&&&&&&&048.54000048.54

Honors and Awards

Player Achievements

Hannover 96

• 2. Bundesliga: 2001–02 (Won the league title)

United States National Team

• CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2005 (Won the tournament)

Coach Achievements

Los Angeles FC

• MLS Cup: 2022 (Won the championship)
• Supporters' Shield: 2022 (Best regular season record)
• U.S. Open Cup: 2024 (Won the cup)

See also

In Spanish: Steve Cherundolo para niños

• List of one-club men in association football