Curt Onalfo

After starring as a defender at Ridgefield High School in Connecticut, Onalfo played collegiately for Bruce Arena at the University of Virginia from 1987-1990. In four seasons as a defender with the Cavaliers, he earned a pair of All-ACC First Team selections and helped the team win the 1988 ACC Championship. He began his professional career with French side La Ciotat in 1991, before featuring for the Connecticut Wolves of the USISL from 1994-95, and Mexican second division side Tampico Madero in 1995.

Onalfo was selected by the LA Galaxy in the inaugural MLS Draft and would make 13 appearances for the club in 1996, helping it reach the first ever MLS Cup. The defender went on to register 23 appearances across four seasons in MLS, spending additional time with San Jose (1997) and D.C. United (1998-99). He recorded one international cap with the U.S. Men’s National Team and featured extensively at the youth level, including the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship, the 1991 Pan American Games, and the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Onalfo’s journey took a detour soon after the 1992 Olympics, when a diagnosis of stage three Hodgkin’s disease at the age of 24 disrupted his career and nearly ended his life. After surviving his arduous battle with cancer, Onalfo resumed his playing career with Connecticut and then Mexican side Tampico FC, before joining the Galaxy for the inaugural MLS season. He owns 13 total years of MLS coaching experience, highlighted by stints as head coach of D.C. United (2010), the then-Kansas City Wizards (2007-09), and the LA Galaxy (2017). While continuing as an assistant with the Galaxy, he also served as the inaugural head coach of USL Championship side LA Galaxy II from 2014-16, where he led the club to a Western Conference title in 2015. When he departed “Los Dos” to take over head coaching duties with the Galaxy first team, his overall record with the developmental side finished at 46-29-20.