U.S. Soccer Hire USMNT Legend, MLS Cup Champion As Olympic Manager for LA 2028

The U.S. get an automatic berth in the men’s and women’s soccer tournaments at the upcoming Olympics.

Steve Cherundolo is back on the touchline after leaving LAFC in 2025. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The U.S. men’s national team doesn’t yet have a future in place for Mauricio Pochettino after the 2026 World Cup, but one of the contenders for the senior men’s job is back in the U.S. this week.

On Thursday, U.S. Soccer announced that former LAFC manager Steve Cherundolo would take over as the manager of the U-23 USMNT, which will compete at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles and across the United States. 

“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.”

As hosts of the 2028 Olympics, the U.S. gets an automatic berth in every event, including the 12-team U23 men’s soccer tournament and the senior-level 16-team women’s soccer tournament. Other nations must go through various qualifying campaigns to find a spot, with the 2026 U20 Championships serving as the pathway for other North American, Central American and Caribbean nations.

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Who Is Steve Cherundolo?

Steve Cherundolo enjoyed a respectable playing career. | Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Cherundolo stepped away from LAFC after the 2025 MLS season, having led the club to the 2022 MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield, the 2024 U.S. Open Cup and a place in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, the first edition of the expanded competition. 

As a player, he earned 87 caps for the USMNT from 1999–2012 before becoming a 2021 inductee into the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Taking over the U-23 team, though, will put him in the Olympic spotlight, as the team looks to hit the podium for the first time. In the past, he has also been a candidate for the top USMNT role and the Olympic position could pave the way for him to take that job eventually.

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USA in Olympic Soccer

The U.S. qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics after missing three straight Olympic Games. | Alex Livesey/Getty Images

While the USWNT has had immense success in Olympic soccer, winning gold five times across the eight tournaments that have been hosted. The men, by contrast, have never won gold, claiming silver and bronze at the start of the 20th century. The team’s best performance in the modern era was a loss in the bronze-medal game at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. 

After missing the tournament for three consecutive editions in 2012, 2016 and 2021, the U.S. returned to the men’s Olympic soccer stage in Paris. The side led by Marko Mitrović were thumbed 4–0 by Morocco in the quarterfinals.

While the tournament will primarily call upon U-23 talent, Cherundolo will be able to invite three overage players, with Walker Zimmerman, Miles Robinson and Djordje Mihailovic being the overage call-ups in 2024. In 2016, though, Brazil captured the gold medal on home soil after Neymar joined the youthful group for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. 

The 2028 Olympics will be primarily hosted in Los Angeles, but the soccer tournament will be spread across the United States, with several events taking place beyond Southern California. 

In addition to the 89,700-capacity Rose Bowl in Pasadena, which hosted the 1994 World Cup final, the tournament will be held at MLS stadiums in New York City, Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, San Jose and San Diego.

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