By DAN KARELL
The Mayor of Hannover isn’t going anywhere.
A day before Hannover 96’s final game of the season against Fortuna Dusseldorf, right back Steve Cherundolo signed a one-year extension with the club through 2014. The American international, who holds 87 caps, broke the record this season for all-time appearances in the Bundesliga with the club, now sitting at 299 matches.
“For nearly 15 years, only for one club. Steven Cherundolo is a perfect example of loyalty reliability and performance, I am pleased that he will remain in the coming season with us,” Hannover manager Mirko Slomka said in a statement on the club’s website.
The 34-year-old Rockford, Illinois native first joined Hannover in January of 1999 after two seasons of college soccer at the University of Portland. Though 12 managers have come and gone since then, Cherundolo was one of the few constants, earning him the nickname the “Mayor of Hannover” and earning him club captaincy in 2010.
What do you make of the move? Do you see Cherundolo retiring at the club?
Share your thoughts below.
The Mayor has won reelection uncontested. He should retire as Mayor of Hannover. However if he decides to return to the USA after the World Cup L.A.’s the place to be since we’lol have Lebron by then.
i think he will play in the MLS after the world cup, for the timbers
As a native San Diegan, I want to point out that while Cherundolo was born in Rockport Il, he grew up in San Diego and played his formative years there, starring for the La Jolla Nomads, one of the top youth teams in the country. San Diego has also produced Frankie Heyduck, Jovan Kirovski, Marvell Wynn, and Joe Corona (and I may be missing a couple of others). Congrats to Steve Cherundolo for such a long and distinguished career in one of the best leagues in the world. He deserves our respect and thanks for many years of service to the national team.
Too bad he was hurt in 2002. Otherwise he’d likely be able to say he played in 4 World Cups.
CAN HE really make it to 100 caps?
It will be close because he is going to miss these upcoming games but I would imagine he will get to 100, barely, but I think he can do it.
If he is our first-choice right back for the 5 other WCQs plus the World Cup itself (and the friendlies that we usually play before it), he has a chance at 100 caps.
He would probably be considerably above that if it weren’t for a couple of injuries at critical times.
He will make his 300th league appearance for Hannover tomorrow. I believe he has like nearly 400 matches in total for the club. Maybe he finishes around 425-430. Has to be 1 of the longest serving foreigners in Germany. Really good considering Germany hasn’t been a very open to foreigners until the 90s
As much as people probably want him to have a MLS farewell tour I’d rather see Cherundolo retire at Hannover and become the first American “one club man”
I think thats exactly whats gonna happen. There may be a chance for another 1 year extension but I honestly see him getting a coaching license or joining an administrative job for the club
This I hope dearly. Not enough Americans coaching in international football. Get the license work at Hanover for a few hears then take on a 4th division squad and see what he can do.
While it would be great to see Dolo play in MLS, I personally would not be the least bit surprised to see him retire from soccer completely after the 2014 World Cup and become our first one-club man, and it would still be a fantastic way to go out.
For me, the best american abroad of all time. There, I said it.
Reyna, McBride, Dempsey, Harkes, Wynalda, Bradley, Altidore, Howard, Keller, Friedel. Cherundolo arguably is in the top 10
Uh, seriously? Wynalda? Look at depth and quality here. MB and Jozy will be ahead of Stevie for quality (like the rest of your list for sure though). I think Stevie is probably the best and most consistent American abroad of all time and as noted below, to do it for this long in Germany when the flood gates for foreigners were not as prolific as some other leagues says something.
Of course, I am from Portland, so maybe I’m biased more than others.
Harkes? Wynalda? While quality, I think its hard to make a chance they had better European stays.
Not a bad list except for Altidore. One good season in a second-tier European league isn’t enough to make that sort of a list.
Altidore scored 31 goals this season and is only 23. He could arguably stay in Europe for another 10 years. He will score goals and become one of our very best players ever to play in Europe.
Altidore and Bradley will surpass him, and Clint may. (And right now Reyna’s ahead of them too.) But ‘Dolo is unquestionably the greatest American field player in Europe.Captian of his team, record holder to for flight games, outstanding quality…it isn’t even a discussion. It’s him
Taking into account years in league/consistency and impact on team:
1)Friedel
2)Dempsey
3)Howard
4)Cherundolo
5) Reyna
6) McBride
7) Bradley
All you guys left out Keller, who was a pioneer and was the most journeyed of all yanks abroad we’ve had so far (Championship, Premiership, Liga 1, Bundesliga, MLS.
so true but you mean La Liga. Ligue 1 is France.
He was arguably our greatest player in the 90s
He probably has played more games in first division football in one of the top European leagues than any other American. Maybe even more than any other North American. That’s for outfield players, since Friedel maybe has played more.