Austrian soccer legend and former MLS player Andreas Herzog will become an assistant on the coaching staff for US national team boss Jurgen Klinsmann, according to the Austrian soccer federation.
Herzog, 43, stepped down from his post as the coach of Austria’s Under-21 team on Friday.
“Jurgen Klinsmann and I have been close friends for many years now. I face this new challenge with great confidence,” Herzog said in the Austrian federation’s statement.
Herzog and Klinsmann played together with Bayern Munich in the mid-1990s, and helped lead the team to the UEFA Cup in 1996. Herzog also spent five years with Werder Bremen before he eventually finished his career in MLS, appearing in 27 games for the LA Galaxy in 2004.
He is the all-time leading scorer for the Austrian national team (26 goals) after appearing in 103 international matches between 1998-2003.
Herzog’s first order of business will be the traditional January camp, when Klinsmann opens 2012 with a look at the faces who could potentially contribute during World Cup qualifying matches in June. The US take on Venezuela on Jan. 21 in Glendale, Ariz., and Panama in Panama City on Jan. 25.
