CHICAGO -- Three-time World Cup veteran Earnie Stewart has been hired as general manager of the U.S. men's national soccer team, a new position created after the Americans failed to qualify for this year's tournament.
The U.S. Soccer Federation said Wednesday the 49-year-old Stewart will start work Aug. 1.
He is tasked with leading the search for a new U.S. coach, the first to be hired since Carlos Cordeiro succeeded Sunil Gulati as U.S. Soccer Federation president in February. Bruce Arena quit after the loss at Trinidad and Tobago last October that ended the Americans' streak of consecutive World Cup appearances at seven. Dave Sarachan, Arena's top assistant, has been coaching the team on an interim basis.
Stewart scored 17 goals in 101 appearances from 1990-95 and played at the 1994, 1998 and 2002 World Cups.
