Poging GOUD - Vrij
Can Cherundolo end this charmed run a champion?
Los Angeles Times
|November 22, 2025
When Steve Cherundolo was hired as coach of LAFC, he didn’t know how long he'd stay.
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.
Dit verhaal komt uit de November 22, 2025-editie van Los Angeles Times.
Abonneer u op Magzter GOLD voor toegang tot duizenden zorgvuldig samengestelde premiumverhalen en meer dan 9000 tijdschriften en kranten.
Bent u al abonnee? Aanmelden
MEER VERHALEN VAN Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
How to protect your online data from sellers
Californians can now visit a single state website to request that brokers delete their personal information and refrain from passing it on
3 mins
January 07, 2026
Los Angeles Times
Safety checks lapsed at Swiss fire site
A criminal inquiry has been opened into the managers of the bar where 40 people died.
2 mins
January 07, 2026
Los Angeles Times
Izzo respects this ejection
Michigan State coach calls out former player Davis for abuse of ref during win over USC.
2 mins
January 07, 2026
Los Angeles Times
Death toll tied to protests in Iran rises to at least 36
Protesters angry over Iran’s ailing economy conducted a sit-in Tuesday at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, witnesses said, with security forces ultimately firing tear gas and dispersing demonstrators as the rest of the market shut down.
4 mins
January 07, 2026
Los Angeles Times
Israel's top diplomat visits breakaway territory
His government’s decision to recognize Somaliland has been widely condemned.
2 mins
January 07, 2026
Los Angeles Times
24 Venezuelan officers killed in U.S. operation
At least 24 Venezuelan security officers were killed in the dead-of-night U.S. military operation to capture Nicolas Maduro and spirit him to the United States to face federal drug charges, officials said Tuesday.
4 mins
January 07, 2026
Los Angeles Times
Bettors all-in on Ohtani in 2025
They placed more wagers on Dodgers’ star than any other athlete last year.
2 mins
January 07, 2026
Los Angeles Times
Confusion over Trump’s plans to ‘run’ Venezuela
President Trump has made broad but vague assertions that the United States is going to “run” Venezuela after the ouster of Nicolás Maduro but has offered almost no details about how it will do so, raising questions among some lawmakers and former officials about the administration's level of planning for the country after Maduro was gone.
4 mins
January 07, 2026
Los Angeles Times
Ex-Apple engineers launch startup to improve robots' vision
Top members of the team behind Apple Inc.'s Face ID are launching a startup to develop technology to help robots see better and move more safely in the world around them.
2 mins
January 07, 2026
Los Angeles Times
A year later, loss is still raw
Grief, shock, resilience: A reporter reflects on her hometown after the Eaton fire. 'Like so many, I’m still grappling with what happened here.’
9 mins
January 07, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size