Can Cherundolo end this charmed run a champion?

When Steve Cherundolo was hired as coach of LAFC, he didn’t know how long he'd stay.

- BY KEVIN BAXTER

SHAUN CLARK Getty Images STEVE CHERUNDOLO will step down as LAFC's coach when the season ends.

He knows now.

Cherundolo announced in April that this season, his fourth with the club, would be his last. And the end of that season is finally in sight heading into Saturday's playoff game in Vancouver.

“Yes, of course it feels real,” Cherundolo said last week.

Real enough that Cherundolo is coaching not only to make history but also to extend his time with LAFC. A loss in Vancouver or in the Western Conference final would end the season and Cherundolo’s time with the team.

Two victories, however, would take him to the championship game next month, making him just the second coach to take a team to three MLS Cup finals in his first four seasons in the league.

“It doesn’t really concern me,” Cherundolo said of his legacy. “I'm concerned about winning games, more importantly the next one. You just kind of treat it that way the entire time. And then, when you're done, you can be happy with that result.”

Regardless of how this ends, Cherundolo’s place in MLS history is secure.

He's the only coach to win an MLS title and a Supporter's Shield in his first season and he had the most wins (29), most points (96) and best winning percentage through 50 games of any coach in league history.

He also won a U.S. Open Cup and took his team to a CONCACAF Champions League final. By beating Mexico's Club América in a one-game playoff this year, he earned his team a $10-million bonus by qualifying for the FIFA Club World Cup.

Not bad for a guy whose only previous managerial job with a senior team was a 6-23-3 season with the Las Vegas Lights, then LAFC's affiliate in the second-tier USL Championship.

"It has been really, really special," LAFC co-president Larry Freedman said of Cherundolo's tenure. "You never know until the person is in the seat doing the job, making the decisions.