Vlatko Andonovski out as USWNT coach after historical failure at World Cup

Vlatko Andonovski won’t return as coach of the U.S. women’s national team.

Andonovski's resignation, confirmed Wednesday to USA TODAY Sports by a person with direct knowledge of the situation, will be announced Thursday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not yet permitted to speak publicly on the topic.

His departure has been expected since the USWNT made its earliest exit ever at a World Cup or Olympics, a loss to Sweden in the Round of 16 in the tournament hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

It was the first time the Americans failed to reach the semifinals at a World Cup, and only the second time they left a major international tournament without a medal of some color.

Andonovski is also the first to coach the USWNT at two major tournaments without winning a title. The USWNT claimed bronze at the Tokyo Olympics after an uninspiring performance that included a 3-0 loss to Sweden in the opening game, their most lopsided defeat at a major tournament since the 2007 World Cup.

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Soccer outlet 90min and The Athletic were the first to report his resignation.

It's not clear who the USWNT's next coach will be or even who will be the interim while a search is done. The USWNT’s next games are a pair of friendlies next month against South Africa, on Sept. 21 in Cincinnati and Sept. 24 in Chicago, followed by two games in October.

Matt Crocker, who was hired as U.S. Soccer's sporting director in April, will likely lead the search, and if it's similar to the one for the USMNT's coach, it will be deliberate and detailed. Crocker said he interviewed multiple candidates, both domestically and abroad, and candidates were put through extensive psychological testing.

Crocker decided in June to bring back USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter.

But the need for a USWNT coach will be more pressing, with the Paris Olympics less than a year away. The USWNT has already qualified for the Games.

Andonovski was a longtime and successful NWSL coach — he’d won titles with FC Kansas City in 2014 and 2015, and was twice the league’s coach of the year — when he was hired in October 2019 to replace Jill Ellis, who’d led the USWNT to back-to-back World Cup titles. He won his first 11 games, the best start by any USWNT coach.

He had to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, a generational turnover and several untimely and significant injuries ahead of the World Cup. He appeared to be well-liked by his players, several of whom had played for him in the NWSL.

But there were indications in Tokyo of problems that persisted through the World Cup. Andonovski had the USWNT in formations that didn’t seem to play to their strengths, and the team struggled to finish — despite a stable of world-class forwards and midfielders.

He also seemed incapable of adapting when things weren’t working. He made just one substitution in the 1-1 draw against the Netherlands at the World Cup, despite the USWNT furiously pressing for a goal that would have, ultimately, given the Americans the top spot in the group.

Asked about it afterward, Andonovski said he didn’t want to disrupt the rhythm of the group on the field, despite it being clear fresh legs could have been the dagger against a Dutch defense fighting to hang on.

Andonovski did make a major adjustment ahead of the round-of-16 game against Sweden, inserting Emily Sonnett and playing her out wide with Andi Sullivan. It opened things up for the USWNT and helped seal the holes in the midfield, but the Americans still couldn’t find a goal and went down on penalties.

“I never came in the locker room with the mindset or to do something to save my job. I was always focused on doing a good job, doing my job in the best possible manner to prepare this team for the challenges they have in front. And to prepare them to represent our country in the best possible manner,” Andonovski said afterward.

“That was the only thing in my focus. It won’t change. It will never change. No matter what happens in the future, that’s how I’ll approach whether it’s this job or any other job.”

Andonovski finishes with a record of  51 wins, five losses and nine ties.