USWNT

Vlatko Andonovski resigns as USWNT coach after disappointing World Cup, reports say

Andonovski's contract was set to expire at the end of the year

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After a Round of 16 exit at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, USWNT manager Vlatko Andonovski reportedly steps down.

The U.S. women's national team will have a new head coach at the helm for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Vlatko Andonovski has resigned from his post as USWNT head coach, according to multiple reports on Wednesday.

Soccer outlet 90min first reported the news.

An official announcement from the U.S. Soccer Federation regarding the move is expected to come on Thursday, according to ESPN's Jeff Carlisle and The Associated Press' Anne M. Peterson.

The Athletic's Meg Linehan, meanwhile, reported that U.S. Soccer is finalizing an agreement to make assistant coach Twila Kilgore the interim head coach. The USWNT has two friendlies against South Africa scheduled for September.

Andonovski's contract was set to expire at the end of this year, and his reported resignation comes on the heels of a disappointing performance in the 2023 Women's World Cup.

The USWNT entered the World Cup looking to become the first team -- men's or women's -- to win it three consecutive times, but the Americans came up well short of that goal. After an uninspiring 1-0-2 showing in the group stage, the USWNT was bounced by Sweden via penalties in the Round of 16.

Andonovski's lineup decisions and tactics came under fire as the USWNT scored four total goals en route to its earliest exit ever in the World Cup. Prior to 2023, the Americans had reached every World Cup semifinal.

The Andonovski-coached USWNT also fell short of expectations at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 when they missed out on the gold-medal game for the second time ever and claimed bronze. In the two major tournaments under Andonovski, the USWNT won only three of 10 games.

Andonovski, 46, took over for two-time World Cup-winning coach Jill Ellis following her resignation in 2019. He exits the USWNT job with a 51-5-9 record.

Andonovski, a native of North Macedonia, previously spent seven seasons as a head coach in the National Women's Soccer League before joining the USWNT.

Following the championship match for the 2023...World Cup at Sydney Olympic Stadium on Aug. 20, where will the Women’s World Cup be off to next?
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