The LA Galaxy named Curt Onalfo as the club’s new head coach on Tuesday, giving the 47-year-old his third head coaching stint in Major League Soccer.
Onalfo joined Kansas City ahead of the 2007 season and spent two and a half years as the club’s head coach. He led the Wizards to the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2007 and 2008 after the team had failed to reach the postseason in the two years prior. He finished his spell in Kansas City with a 27-29-22 record, departing in August 2009 and becoming D.C. United’s head coach the following season.
Current Sporting KC players Matt Besler, Graham Zusi and Roger Espinoza earned their MLS debuts during Onalfo’s tenure in Kansas City.
Born in Brazil and raised in Connecticut, Onalfo has spent each of the last six seasons within the LA Galaxy organization. He was an assistant from 2011-2013 and has served as LA Galaxy II’s head coach for the last three years. His team reached the USL Cup Playoffs for the third straight time in 2016, but lost 3-0 to eventual Western Conference champion Swope Park Rangers on Sept. 30 at Swope Soccer Village.
Onalfo played in MLS from 1995-1999, then began his coaching career as a D.C. United assistant in 2001. He held the same position for the United States Men’s National Team between 2002 and 2006, helping the Americans win the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup and qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
