Vlatko Andonovski has stepped down as head coach of the United States women's national soccer team less than two weeks after the team's earliest World Cup exit in history. The U.S. Soccer Federation plans to make the official announcement Thursday.
The 46-year-old Andonovski has served as the team's head coach since October 2019, taking the place of Jill Ellis, who led the USWNT to two consecutive World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019.
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Andonovski completes his tenure with an impressive 51 wins, five losses and nine ties, but failed to succeed in two major international tournaments — the Tokyo Olympics and this year's World Cup. His latest loss came against the Sweden women's national team when the top-ranked U.S. team was knocked out on penalty kicks after a scoreless draw.
Following the disappointing loss, Andonovski brushed off questions about his future with the team, instead reflecting on the memories he's made with his players.
"We spent four years together. They got their first caps with me, they got their first national team call-ups with me," Andonovski said. "We spent tough times, good times. I don’t want to see them like that. That’s all I think about.”
The organization, in the meantime, will need to find a replacement for Andonovski soon, as the 2024 Paris Olympics is quickly approaching.
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