Soccer world reacts to resignation of USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski
In an expected move, the U.S. women's soccer team and Vlatko Andonovski have parted ways, with an official resignation expected from the head coach Thursday.
After the USWNT's unceremonious exit from the Women's World Cup in the round of 16, Andonovski's exit was all but determined, with the only thing up in the air being the how and when. Unsurprisingly, the soccer world's reaction was predictable now that the shoe finally dropped on Andonovski.
Like many, CBS analyst Nico Cantor said if Andonovski hadn't resigned, he'd have been his walking papers instead.
"If it were not that, the federation, I feel like, would have fired him. It was completely expected," Cantor said. "The team underperformed. With the amount of quality, there was, it makes sense."
Meanwhile, Caitlin Murray of ESPN believes USWNT moving on from Andonovski came years too late.
"Andonovski was also not the right choice for a job that is arguably the most challenging in women's soccer, and the warning signs of how this World Cup would go were evident after the 2021 Olympics," Murray wrote. "Had U.S. Soccer officials heeded those signs, the USWNT might very well still be in this World Cup, preparing for a quarterfinal."
While Andonovski's resignation doesn't come as a shock, it appears the stigma from his time as USWNT coach hasn't stained his reputation. According to Meg Linehan of The Athletic, Andonovski is already receiving interest from multiple teams at "the international and club levels."
Assistant coach Twila Kilgore will reportedly be named interim head coach. However, the USWNT will likely conduct a wide-ranging search for a new coach.
Regardless, the Andonovski era is over. And while he'll walk away with a 51-5-9 mark as head coach, many will remember his run as a failure. Not only did the USWNT suffer its earliest exit in World Cup history, but they also underachieved throughout. There were some excuses, such as big-name players missing action. Still, in the end, the criticism lobbed at Andonovski during the World Cup over his lack of substitutions and an unwillingness to make timely strategic changes ultimately doomed his tenure as coach.
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