LAFC hand Steve Cherundolo a chance as manager, but can he succeed on a bigger stage in MLS?

There are numerous examples of players jumping straight into management upon retirement. Barcelona and Spain legend Xavi took over the managerial reins at Qatari club Al Sadd mere days after his playing career ended, while Frank Lampard took his first managerial job at Derby County 18 months after hanging up his boots. Major League Soccer has seen some examples as well, with Jason Kreis (Real Salt Lake) and Ben Olsen (D.C. United) both transitioning quickly into the coaching ranks.

Steve Cherundolo took a different route. After an illustrious playing career with German side Hannover 96 and the U.S. men’s national team, Cherundolo spent seven years gaining experience at nearly all levels: with Hannover’s youth teams, Germany’s under-15 team, or assistant coaching roles with Hannover and VfB Stuttgart. Along the way, he procured the coveted UEFA Pro license and last season, he managed LAFC’s USL affiliate, the Las Vegas Lights. That lengthy apprenticeship paid off Monday with the announcement that Cherundolo is the new manager of LAFC.

“I made a conscious decision to make it a long path and to really learn from the ground up, to be best prepared for this day when it comes,” he said. “And it’s here. I never had a timeline, but I also felt if the time was right, if the situation was right, there would be no hesitation. And that’s where we are now.”

At first glance, it seems like Cherundolo is taking a significant leap up the managerial ladder. His record last year with the Lights was rather humbling, with six wins and 23 defeats from 32 games to register the worst record in the Western Conference. But Las Vegas’ role in the LAFC organization was always clear — player development, not results — meaning that Cherundolo’s record needs to be viewed through that lens.

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There is also the résumé of the man Cherundolo is replacing, Bob Bradley, who departed Los Angeles at the end of the…