Title: US Women’s National Team Coach Vlatko Andonovski Resigns After Disastrous World Cup
Date: Thu 17 Aug 2023 01.04 BST
The US women’s national team coach, Vlatko Andonovski, has stepped down from his position following the team’s early exit from the Women’s World Cup, a source familiar with the matter revealed to the Associated Press on Wednesday. The news comes as a shock to many and highlights the magnitude of disappointment surrounding the team’s performance in the tournament.
The Americans, who are four-time World Cup champions, faced significant challenges throughout the competition. While they started with a victory against Vietnam in the group stage, their subsequent draws against Netherlands and Portugal barely secured their place in the knockout stage. The team then performed admirably against Sweden in the round of 16 but lost on penalties after a goalless draw. Overall, the US managed to score only four goals throughout the entire tournament.
This early exit marked the worst performance by the United States in the history of the Women’s World Cup. The team had never finished worse than third in previous editions of the tournament.
Andonovski, 46, took over as head coach of the United States in October 2019, succeeding the highly successful Jill Ellis, who led the team to back-to-back World Cup titles. During his tenure, Andonovski had a record of 51 wins, 5 draws, and 9 losses. However, his performance in major tournaments was less impressive, with a record of 3 wins, 2 draws, and 5 losses.
In the aftermath of the match against Sweden, Andonovski expressed his concern for the young players on the team, many of whom were participating in their first World Cup. Despite the disappointing outcome, he emphasized his commitment to their development and growth.
The decision to step down was influenced not only by the team’s performance at the World Cup but also by their disappointing bronze medal finish at the Tokyo Olympics. Andonovski had focused on nurturing young talent in preparation for the World Cup, and players like Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman emerged as promising prospects.
Furthermore, injuries played a significant role in the team’s struggles, with key players Mallory Swanson, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Catarina Macario unable to participate due to various injuries.
Given the United States’ qualification for the 2024 Olympics in France, the search for a replacement coach will begin promptly. In the meantime, the team is set to engage in friendly matches against South Africa on September 21 in Cincinnati and September 24 in Chicago.
Andonovski’s predecessor, Jill Ellis, enjoyed tremendous success during her tenure, leading the US to eight overall tournament titles, including World Cup victories in 2015 and 2019.
The announcement of Andonovski’s resignation is expected on Thursday, marking the end of his tenure and the beginning of a new era for the US women’s national team.