The search for a new U.S. women’s national team head coach will reportedly begin very soon.
Vlatko Andonovski is set to step down as USWNT head coach, 90MIN among other outlets confirmed Wednesday. Andonovski’s departure as head coach comes not long after the USWNT delivered its worst-ever performance at a FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Andonovski took over as USWNT head coach in 2019 after the second of two-straight World Cup triumphs and only lost five of his 65 matches in charge of the program. However, the program’s underwhelming run in Australia and New Zealand was likely the final straw in the 46-year-old’s stint as head coach.
“I think it’s selfish to think about me, my future, what I’m gonna do, when we have 20-year-old players going through the moment, going through this situation,” Andonovski said postmatch after the USWNT suffered a Round of 16 exit at the hands of Sweden.
“I want be there for them,” he added. “I love them. I love them all. And they’re my players, but they’re my friends. We spent four years together. They got their first caps with me. They got their first national team call-ups with me. We spend times, tough times, good times. So I don’t want to see them like that. That’s all I think about.”
The USWNT opened group stage play in Australia and New Zealand with a 3-0 shutout win over Vietnam, but would struggle in later matches. The Netherlands held the Americans to a 1-1 draw in their second group stage match before a goal-less draw vs Portugal helped the USWNT inch itself over the advancement line.
Portugal came close to eliminating the USWNT from the group stage, striking the post in second-half stoppage time of that 0-0 result. Despite several key veterans such as Alex Morgan, Julie Ertz, and Megan Rapinoe remaining in the USWNT squad, the Americans lacked the cutting edge in the final third and struggled to find a way past Sweden in the Round of 16.
Andonovski’s departure would open the door to a new head coaching hire, with several current national team coaches linked with the opening.
The USWNT’s schedule is set to resume in September with a pair of home friendlies against South Africa.