Curt Onalfo

Professional

His first experience abroad came at La Ciotat, in the French fifth division, but a six-month battle with Hodgkin's Disease in 1993 disrupted his career and almost ended his life. After extensive chemotherapy, the cancer went into remission and Onalfo recovered, going on to play for the Connecticut Wolves of the USISL in 1994 and 1995. In 1995, he signed with Major League Soccer which was planning to begin its first season that year. When the league was forced to delay its first season until 1996, the league sent Onalfo on loan with Tampico Madero of the Mexican second division. He met and married his wife in Tampico and his family still maintain a home there; Onalfo also speaks fluent Spanish. In February 1996, the Los Angeles Galaxy selected Onalfo in the eight round (seventy-fourth overall) in the inaugural draft. He would feature in almost half of the Galaxy's games that year, as well as the first MLS Cup. He went on to play for the San Jose Clash (later the Earthquakes) in the next season, and then for D.C. United in 1998 and 1999, winning the MLS Cup with United in his last year. In 1999, United sent Onalfo on loan to MLS Pro 40, Virginia Beach Mariners and Maryland Mania.

International

In the late 80s and early 90s, Onalfo featured for the U.S. national teams on both youth and senior levels, co-captaining the U.S. U-20 national team at the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship, the gold medal-winning team of the 1991 Pan American Games,…

After retiring, Onalfo continued to work with youth soccer in training, coaching, and technical director roles, as he had done throughout his playing days – for McLean Youth Soccer in Virginia, various teams in Ridgefield, CT, and for his own company, Curt Onalfo Soccer. His first managerial job in professional soccer came when he was hired as assistant coach to Thomas Rongen – later replaced by Ray Hudson – at D.C. United, a position he occupied from 2001 through 2002. In the latter year, Onalfo left to become an assistant to Bruce Arena during the 2002–2006 stretch of Arena's tenure as coach of the U.S. national team. In 2005, Onalfo was included among the final three candidates for the top job at the Colorado Rapids, eventually being passed over for Fernando Clavijo. In November 2006, Onalfo was appointed as head coach of the Kansas City Wizards, replacing interim coach Brian Bliss. He pledged to install an attacking style as a coach for the Wizards, who had finished poorly in their previous season and failed to make the playoffs. Wizards technical director Peter Vermes cited Onalfo's skill as a communicator, leadership, scouting, and talent evaluation in announcing the hire. With the Wizards in sixth place in MLS's Eastern Conference with a 5–6–7 record and coming off a 6–0 road loss to FC Dallas two nights earlier, Onalfo was dismissed on August 3, 2009. He finished with a 27–29–22 record with the club. He was hired as the head coach of D.C. United in December 2009.…

Onalfo has two children. Curt's son Christian also became a soccer player. In 2015, Christian Onalfo was called up to the U.S. under-20 national team.