Making the case for Steve Cherundolo as USMNT boss

The United States Soccer Federation could move to appoint Steve Cherundolo as the USMNT’s next head coach, sparking a debate among fans as to whether the LAFC boss would be the right move going forward.

Most of the USMNT fanbase are clamoring for for a coach that has previous international experience after the frustrating shortcomings under Gregg Berhalter. The USSF reportedly tried to bring in Jurgen Klopp, but the ex-Liverpool coach quickly turned down the opportunity to lead the Stars and Stripes.

The USSF will want to get their next hire right ahead of an important cycle for World Cup 2026, and they just might have to hire another MLS coach if someone like Mauricio Pochettino or Herve Renard isn’t available or is uninterested.

It makes sense for fans to be against hiring another current MLS coach after the Berhalter, Bruce Arena and Bob Bradley’s tenures — but coaches like Wilfried Nancy and Steve Cherundolo should not be dismissed so easily.

It’s unknown whether Nancy would be interested in managing a national team, while you can imagine Cherundolo probably wouldn’t hesitate to lead the USMNT — he is a former player, after all.

With that being said, here are three reasons why Cherundolo could succeed as USMNT head coach.

Cherundolo guided LAFC to MLS Cup glory / Omar Vega/GettyImages

Although winning in MLS or any league in particular doesn’t mean translated success to the international level, Cherundolo’s success with LAFC shouldn’t go unnoticed.

Since taking over in January 2022, Cherundolo has amassed a 66W-19D-32L record and lifted one MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield, both in 2022. LAFC also reached MLS Cup final last season before falling to Columbus Crew while also reaching the final of the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League before the Black and Gold were defeated 3-1 on aggregate by Liga MX side Club Leon.

The point is, Cherundolo is a proven winner in MLS. He might not be the most exciting hire, but his 4-3-3 setup has helped him achieve a first place overall and third place in the Western Conference in 2022 and 2023 respectively. LAFC are on course for another first place finish in the West this year, too.

His direct counter-attacking style of playing might not be the most exciting, but it’s gotten him results. Cherundolo has also shown to be flexible when he doesn’t have the right players in his system — as he’s no stranger to playing with a back-three system.

As far as the USMNT goes, you can start to see how pacy players like Folarin Balogun, Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah and Gio Reyna might benefit from Cherundolo’s system.

It’s worth noting that Cherundolo was head coach of Las Vegas Lights from March 2021-January 2022 in which he recorded a 6W-3D-23L record. Even with that terrible record for a team playing in the USL Championship — that is essentially a feeder club for LAFC — it really shouldn’t hurt Cherundolo’s chances of landing the USMNT gig.

Cherundolo played over 400 matches for Hannover 96 / CHRISTOF STACHE/GettyImages

Many might not think that an MLS head coach spent his entire playing career abroad, but that’s actually the case with Cherundolo. Although Cherundolo is from Rockford, Illinois, he spent his entire playing career with Hannover 96 in Germany as a right-back.

Cherundolo was so impressive that was eventually named club captain and went on to suit up 415 times (third-most all-time in Hannover history) before retiring in 2014. 302 of those 415 appearances came in the Bundesliga, the top flight of German soccer.

Several years after his retirement, Cherundolo went through a brief stint as assistant coach at Bundesliga side Vfb Stuttgart as well as one year as an assistant with the Germany U20 team. It’s safe to say that Cherundolo’s playing career in Germany has provided him with the platform to succeed at the coaching level — which he’s demonstrated thus far during his time at LAFC.

Cherundolo played at two World Cups with the USMNT / Jamie Sabau/GettyImages

Cherundolo was a USMNT starter during his playing days, as he suited up 87 times for the Stars and Stripes and featured at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. With this in mind, Cherundolo clearly knows what it means to represent the US having played for his country at the international level — which would definitely come in handy if he were appointed as USA boss.

Many might point to the fact that Berhalter also suited up for the USMNT 44 times and wasn’t able to bring the required success as head coach. However, Cherundolo has nearly double the amount of appearances as Berhalter and once again has already proven to be successful at the club level in a salary-capped league — in which Berhalter wasn’t during his time with Columbus Crew.

Players in the USMNT squad would more than likely appreciate having someone like Cherundolo in the team who’s been there and done it like them, someone who’s been in their shoes before. Some players may want the USSF to go down a different route with a foreign coach, but Cherundolo without a doubt knows what it means to wear the USMNT shirt and would definitely take pride in coaching his country.