LOS ANGELES — Former U.S. right back Steve Cherundolo is leaving his job as assistant coach of Germany’s under-15 national team to become head coach of the Las Vegas Lights of the second-tier United Soccer League Championship.
The team starts play this season as the affiliate of Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles FC.
“My experiences as a coach and player over the past 22 years in Germany and with the U.S. men’s national team have provided me with the necessary tools to help further this fascinating endeavor,” Cherundolo said in a statement Friday.
Cherundolo made 87 international appearances and played for the U.S. at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.
The 42-year-old played for Hannover from 1999-2014, then remained with the club as an assistant coach with the amateur team and, starting in 2015, with the first team. He switched to Stuttgart as a first-team assistant in January 2018, briefly served as assistant with the U.S. national team under coach Dave Sarachan in 2018 and joined Germany’s under-15 team last August.
“Steve Cherundolo has enjoyed one of the greatest careers of any player in U.S. Soccer,” LA general manager John Thorrington said in a statement. “He is an established coach in Germany and has the experience and ability to lead Las Vegas and continue the work of developing young players.”
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