The USWNT’s elimination from the World Cup has largely been attributed to Coach Vlatko Andonovski’s actions on social media.
For the first time in the competition’s history, the women’s national team of the United States was eliminated before the semifinal round when they were eliminated from the 2023 World Cup in the round of 16. In the round of 16, the United States lost a penalty shootout to Sweden after missing three shots without forcing a save. After Alyssa Naeher’s initial save, Sweden scored on a rebound.
What a disastrous World Cup for Megan Rapinoe. Poor in every game, poor in every offensive action she was a part of.
— Berny Belvedere (@bernybelvedere) August 6, 2023
i want to hear from vlatko about why he took out alex morgan in overtime in an elimination world cup game #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/q87niwAUhz
— Alexis Kraft (@TheAlexisKraft) August 6, 2023
For just the second time in competition history, the United States struggled in the group stage and came in second. The Americans failed to win more than one group game for the first time, and the final third showed signs of inefficiency. Even though the team gave Sweden its best effort, it was insufficient. Vlatko Andonovski, the head coach, is currently in the spotlight.
Vlatko putting in Rapinoe and sitting on the bench admiring his work #USAvSWE pic.twitter.com/wbt6NKMLoy
— Lindsey Muller (@lindseymuller21) August 6, 2023
Vlatko Andonovski, who is he?
The women’s soccer scene in the United States has been significantly impacted by Macedonian-American soccer coach Vlatko Andonovski. Andonovski, who was born in Skopje, Macedonia, on September 14, 1976, developed a love for soccer early on. Before relocating to the US in 2000, he played professionally in his native country.
Andonovski began his coaching career in 2007 when he was hired as an assistant coach by the FC Kansas City Women’s Soccer Club. His aptitude as a coach quickly became apparent, and in 2013 he was elevated to head coach. FC Kansas City won the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) title in 2014 and 2015 under his direction.
The legendary Jill Ellis was succeeded as head coach of the United States Women’s national soccer team (USWNT) by Andonovski in 2019. It was a difficult task to take over one of the most successful women’s soccer teams in history, but Andonovski was up for it.
Andonovski has carried on the USWNT’s history of success during his time in charge of the team. In the 2020 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship, he led the group to victory, securing their qualification for the Tokyo Olympics. In order to maintain the USWNT as a dominant force in international women’s soccer, he has also overseen the integration of a number of young players into the squad.
In his professional career, he has won two NWSL Coach of the Year awards, and in 2020, he won the Best FIFA Women’s Coach award.
Andonovski’s contract expires at the end of this year, but under his direction, the USWNT team has not progressed as anticipated. Although the USA lineup was made up of both seasoned athletes and younger players, the team was predicted to advance to the semifinals and contend for the championship. The Americans fell far short of expectations. After being substituted, Megan Rapinoe missed a crucial penalty right when the Americans needed her the most.
Even though the final outcome did not favor the United States, Andonovski’s tactics against Sweden were successful despite the difficulty of pinning down specific instances. It is challenging to understand his resolve to stick with the lineup and formation for the majority of the group stage.
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