Steve Cherundolo played his entire soccer career in Germany and is continuing to make an impact as a coach in the European country.
The German Football Federation announced Friday that Cherundolo has been hired as an assistant coach with the Under-15 National Team. It will be his first coaching stint within the Federation after previously serving at club level.
“With Daniel Jungwirth we have gained a young, ambitious coaching talent who has the ability to inspire players and has also gained a lot of interesting experience as a player,” Germany Academy Head Meikel Schonweitz said. “Steven Cherundolo can not only do it He can look back on 15 years of professional experience with almost 400 games at Hannover 96, but has already participated in three world championships. This, coupled with his refreshing human nature, is a great benefit for us.”
He served as an assistant coach with Hannover, while also serving as head coach of the club’s Under-15 and Under-17 teams. In 2018, Cherundolo served as an assistant coach with fellow German club Stuttgart as well as the USMNT under then-interim head coach Dave Sarachan.
Cherundolo played his entire professional career in Germany, making nearly 400 appearances for Hannover from 1999-2014. He also served as the team’s captain ahead of the 2011-12 season and lifted the 2001-02′ Bundesliga title with the club.
On the international level, Cherundolo earned 87 caps for the U.S. Men’s National Team, competing in both the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups. He also captained the USMNT at the 2009 Concacaf Gold Cup. Chronic-knee injuries hurt his chances of eclipsing the 100-cap mark.
He was a part of the 2005 Gold Cup winning USMNT squad, before finishing as a runner-up in 2009 and 2011.
Most underrated USMNT player ever
Really? I scarcely know a single USMNT fan who underrates Steve Cherundolo. Sure, he’s a fullback and it’s not as sexy as a striker or playmaker. But if you were to ask anybody who could actually spit out names of (any) USMNT defenders, I really doubt you’d find anybody who didn’t value Cherundolo as first tier.
A little late now, but the US probably should have offered him the job to replace
Tab Ramos. He and Jesse Marsch should not be forgotten when openings come up for important national team jobs.
I believe he still lives in Germany, probably wasn’t interested in moving his family to Chicago.
Steve has a German wife and is entrenched there. I have friends who know him and no way he is leaving his life in Germany for a US youth gig. Marsch? Who is forgetting about Marsch? The last thing he should care about is a US coaching job. He has a platform to to be promoted to very high levels…and maybe even higher after that if he succeeds. That dwarfs any US coaching job….ANY. He can coach the Nats 20 years from now if he wants if he succeeds. If he coaches the Nats now his Euro opps will go away, and its naive to think they wouldn’t. It’s a no brainer. We overestimate what our US coaching jobs mean. Marsch succeeding over there will open doors no one else could. A US Nat job will not. Sorry.,..reality. Once we get rid of the worst part of US Soccer culture….US Nat fans only….we will finally know that we are succeeding on the world stage.
His progression coaching is much better served staying exactly where he is. As would be his ability to manage a US team if it ever comes down to that down the road. Always appreciated him as a player and would love for him to succeed as a manager. Have a suspicion it will be so.
Have you seen Marsch halftime team talk during their champions league match vs Liverpool? I’ve watched it 50 times probably and it always impresses me, please check it out if you haven’t yet
Secret Agent Steve!
I think you mean the 2nd Bundesliga title for promotion….