A little over a week after the U.S. women’s national soccer team was bounced from the World Cup, head coach Vlatko Andonovski is stepping down, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced Thursday.
“All of us at U.S. Soccer thank Vlatko for his dedication to our Women’s National Team over the past four years,” U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker said.
“Vlatko worked tirelessly for this team and has been a strong and positive leader for our women’s program. We’re grateful for everything he has contributed to U.S. Soccer and know he has a bright future in the sport,” Crocker said.
Twila Kilgore was named interim head coach while the search for Andonovski’s replacement is underway, the federation said. Kilgore served as assistant coach for the U.S. Women’s National Team for the past year and a half.
News of the departure comes after the USWNT suffered a disappointing and unexpected early exit on Aug. 6 from the World Cup.
They tied Portugal and then had face to Sweden.
Sweden defeated the U.S. women 5-4 on penalties, knocking them from the competition.
Andonovski, 44, who was born in Skopje, North Macedonia, was named head coach of the women’s national team in October of 2019. He was the ninth head coach of the team in its 38-year history.
He had previously been a head coach with the National Women’s Soccer League, which he did for seven years — five with FC Kansas City and two with Reign FC, U.S. Soccer has said.
Before that he played professionally, in Europe and then in the U.S. He played for the Wichita Wings in Kansas, and then with the Kansas City Comets, California Cougars and Philadelphia Kixx, according to his bio.
Andonovski said after the loss to Sweden that he was devastated for his team, which was hoping to win its third-consecutive World Cup title.
“I see the players in tears, it hurts,” he said at a post-game news conference, during which at times the he seemed on the verge of tears himself.
Andonovski said, “I love them all … they’re my friends.”
Andonovski replaced Jill Ellis as head of the team. Ellis announced she would step down after the USWNT won the last World Cup, which was held in 2019. Under Andonovski, the team won the bronze medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.