Former Chivas USA president Nelson Rodriguez lands U.S. Soccer job

After helping Major League Soccer put Chivas USA out of its misery, Nelson Rodriguez has found a new home with U.S. Soccer, which Thursday named him to the newly created position of managing director of national team advisory services.

With U.S. Soccer, Rodriguez, a longtime executive with MLS before being named Chivas USA’s caretaker president last February, will establish an office dedicated to educating members of the national team player pool in a number of topics ranging from personal finances to career advice.

U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said the creation of the department was first suggested by national team Coach Juergen Klinsmann.

“The profile of aspiring American professional players continues to grow both domestically and internationally,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “Ensuring that our players are educated and prepared for the rigors of life as a professional athlete is important as they continue to develop on and off the field.”

Rodriguez’s difficult and diplomatic work with Chivas USA over the last eight months was widely hailed. The franchise, whose Mexican owners were bought out by the league earlier this year, was disbanded last month after 10 mostly disappointing seasons. Rodriguez was credited with holding the organization together during its final season, allowing MLS to eventually sell the rights to a group of 22 Southern California investors for more than $100 million.

That team, tentatively named the Los Angeles Football Club, will begin play in 2017.

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