The 2028 Olympics are less than two years away, and the United States have a coach. Today, U.S. Soccer named Steve Cherundolo the head coach of the U.S. U-23 men’s national team that will compete at the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Cherundolo, who had 87 caps and appeared in three World Cups for the USMNT, is also a MLS Cup-winning head coach. He won the title in 2022 with Los Angeles FC. The 47-year-old coach left LAFC at the end of last year to return to Germany, where he had spent all of his playing career
as the “Mayor of Hannover” as well as the start of his coaching career before heading to coach Las Vegas Lights in 2021 and then LAFC in 2022. He now takes over the U-23 team that will form for the 2028 Summer Olympics, which will be hosted in LA.
“Representing the United States at the Olympic Games is one of the greatest honors in sports, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead this team,” Cherundolo said in a statement. “I believe we have an exciting group of players with tremendous potential, and I’m looking forward to building an environment where they can challenge themselves, grow together, and represent our country with pride. Our responsibility is to compete with courage, humility, and a clear identity, one that reflects the values of U.S. Soccer and gives our supporters a team they can be proud of.”
U.S. Soccer chief operating officer Dan Helfrich led the search for the new Olympic coach, as the federation is without a sporting director after Matt Crocker left in April for a similar position with the Saudi Arabian federation. “Throughout his career, Steve Cherundolo has been a proven winner, an elite talent developer, and a great ambassador for American soccer,” Helfrich said in U.S. Soccer’s statement. “The 2028 Olympics present a critical platform to develop our next generation of players and further engage our passionate fan base as we pursue an Olympic medal at home. Steve’s leadership will be instrumental in building an Olympic team that proudly represents U.S. Soccer. And he will work closely with both our Senior and Youth National team coaches in growing the game together.”
The Summer Olympic men’s soccer tournament is a U-23 tournament where each team is allowed up to three overage players. Cherundolo’s job will not only be to assemble a roster of U-23s that can go for gold in LA, but also to work with the USMNT head coach to identify three players that can help put the team over the top and be available for those Olympic games when they kick off in July 2028.
“Steve’s extensive coaching experience and having gone through the American youth soccer system gives him a unique understanding of American and European style of play that will allow him to maximize and nurture the players’ potential,” said Oguchi Onyewu, U.S. Soccer vice president of sporting and a former teammate of Cherundolo’s on the USMNT. “Having played alongside Steve in two World Cups, I have seen firsthand the impact he can have on the group. We are confident he is the right coach to lead this team in the 2028 Summer Olympics.”
Cherundolo will have identification camps to start honing in on the potential player pool for the 2028 Summer Games. Then, as the tournament gets closer, there will likely be friendlies scheduled for the team to test themselves on the field against competition that they could likely see on the field as they push for gold. But, Steve Cherundolo will get the ultimate test as a coach to represent his country at a home Olympics.
