Steve Cherundolo

Steve Cherundolo

Cherundolo with Hannover in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Steven Emil Cherundolo
Date of birth	(1979-02-19) February 19, 1979 (age 38)
Place of birth	Rockford, Illinois, United States
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Playing position	Right back
Club information
Current team	Hannover 96 (Assistant Manager)
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1997–1998	Portland Pilots
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1999–2014	Hannover 96	370	(7)
National team
1997	United States U18	4	(0)
1998–1999	United States U20	25	(0)
1998	United States U23	1	(0)
1999–2012	United States	87	(2)
Teams managed
2014–2015	Hannover 96 Amateure (Assistant Manager)
2015–	Hannover 96 (Assistant Manager)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Steven Emil "Steve" Cherundolo (born February 19, 1979, in Rockford, Illinois) is an American former soccer defender and current assistant manager of Hannover 96. He was the captain of Hannover 96 of the German Bundesliga, where he spent his entire club career. He played for the United States men's national soccer team at the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups.

Cherundolo grew up in San Diego, California, and attended Mt. Carmel High School in Rancho Peñasquitos. As a youth he played for the La Jolla Nomads club team, which won the California State Championship six times with him on the roster.

Before joining Hannover, Cherundolo enrolled at the University of Portland and played for the Pilots soccer team from 1997 to 1998. In his freshman season, he was named the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year.

Cherundolo joined Hannover 96, then playing in the 2. Bundesliga, for the end of the 1998–1999 season and quickly received first-team action, playing in four games his first year. Coming into the 1999–2000 season, Cherundolo established himself at the right back position, starting consistently before suffering a knee injury that kept him out until the end of the season and ended his chances of playing for the U.S. Olympic team. He continued to establish his place in the team during the 2000–2001 season, earning playing time in eighteen games, including ten starts. In the 2001–02 season, he started thirty of thirty-four games for the team as he helped the team gain promotion to the Bundesliga. Cherundolo maintained his position in the 2002–03 season, starting thirty-three games for the team, while collecting three assists. In the 2003–04 season, he continued his consistent play, appearing in thirty-three games for the club. Premier League side Bolton Wanderers agreed to a deal with Hannover for Cherundolo in 2005, but he declined, opting to remain in Germany. He signed another contract extension with Hannover in the summer of 2007.