Four candidates to take over as USWNT manager
Vlatko Andonovski announced his resignation as the U.S. Women's National Team manager a few days after his team's surprise elimination from the 2023 World Cup. His departure was expected, but the USWNT has yet to name his successor.
The national team faces a rebuild, making the manager role more important than ever.
Who is in the running for the position, and what could those people bring to the American women's soccer program?
Laura Harvey
The obvious first choice is the candidate who lost out to Andonovski, the coach of the OL Reign in the National Women's Soccer League. Harvey coached the U-20 USWNT in the early 2020s before supporting Andonovski as an assistant with the senior team. Harvey has worked extensively with rising USWNT stars Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett, and she's known for her direct, honest coaching style.
Harvey is considered the front-runner for the USWNT role. No other candidate is better connected to U.S. Soccer than she is, and her work with the OL Reign this season — a team that features aging star Megan Rapinoe and young stars like Jordyn Huitema — feels eerily similar to the challenges the USWNT presents.
Tony Gustavsson
Gustavsson's claim to fame is coaching Australia's Matildas to the semifinals of their home World Cup this summer despite the crushing injury to star Sam Kerr. Australia played aggressively in the tournament, a style that caught the eyes of many American fans.
While Gustavsson is now famous for his connection with Australia, the Swedish coach has worked within the USWNT system before. He served as an assistant to head coach Jill Ellis from 2014-2019, during the team's back-to-back World Cup run.
Lorne Donaldson
Donaldson might be a long shot, but don't count him out. His phenomenal work with Jamaica's Reggae Girlz at this summer's World Cup proved that he's capable of creating magic in the toughest of circumstances. Imagine what he might be capable of with the USWNT, which has many more resources.
Donaldson hasn't worked with the USWNT, but he has spent plenty of time in the U.S. Soccer system. He went to college in Denver and worked with the MLS's Colorado Rapids during one of their strongest eras in the early 2000s.
Emma Hayes
Hayes is probably the most obscure name for American fans, but English fans know her well. She's the manager of England's Chelsea FC, home of World Cup stars Sam Kerr, Zećira Mušović, Lauren James and Millie Bright, along with injured American star Catarina Macario. Hayes led Chelsea to the elusive "double" in 2022-23, winning the English league and the English Cup in succession.
Considered one of the best club coaches in women's soccer, Hayes would be a fascinating choice for the USWNT. She's used to the pressure of a stressful, busy season and could adapt well to the demands of the international soccer circuit.
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