Ex-USA coach Vlatko Andonovski set for KC Current – sources

Former United States ladies’s nationwide crew supervisor Vlatko Andonovski has been employed as head coach and sporting director of the NWSL’s Kansas City Current, membership sources confirmed to ESPN.

Andonovski, 47, returns to the town the place he beforehand received consecutive NWSL titles in 2014 and 2015 with the aspect then often called FC Kansas City. The crew was successfully relocated to Utah for three seasons earlier than returning to Kansas City as an growth crew forward of the 2021 season.

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Kansas City had been with out a everlasting supervisor since April 19, when it fired Matt Potter. The crew had been managed on an interim foundation by Caroline Sjoblom, with the crew failing to make the NWSL playoffs after ending in eleventh place out of 12 groups.

The season of battle comes only one yr after the Current reached the NWSL closing, dropping to the Portland Thorns 2-0.

The Washington Post was first to report Andonovski taking the position of head coach, whereas the The Equalizer first reported that he was additionally anticipated be sporting director.

The appointment is the primary for Andonovski since he resigned as supervisor of the USWNT in August. His departure got here within the wake of the crew’s spherical-of-16 exit on the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the worst end at a significant match in this system’s historical past.

While Andonovski’s report with the U.S. was 51-5-9, his report in main tournaments was simply 3-2-5 (video games determined by penalties are formally recorded as attracts).

Andonovski’s earlier managerial expertise got here at membership stage, each indoors with the Missouri Comets and in addition to with FC Kansas City and Reign FC (now OL Reign) within the NWSL.

He succeeded Jill Ellis as USWNT supervisor in 2019 because the crew was celebrating its second consecutive World Cup title. At the time of his hiring, Andonovski had the help of veteran gamers, who lauded his participant-administration abilities. But cracks started to appear on the Tokyo Olympics, with the U.S. trying properly in need of the aspect that received the World Cup in France two years earlier, even because it claimed a bronze medal.

As the 2023 World Cup approached, the U.S. continued to rack up wins in friendlies, however the crew struggled in opposition to high sides. Late in 2022, the USWNT misplaced consecutive matches to England, Spain and Germany, its first such dropping streak in 29 years.

Once the World Cup began, Andonovski confronted criticism for his lineups and incapacity to make in-sport changes, notably his unwillingness to make use of his bench.

Now Andonovski will return to the league and the town the place he loved his finest moments as a supervisor.

He’ll have loads of help, too. Owners Chris and Angie Long in addition to Brittany Mahomes, spouse of Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, have made a substantial funding within the membership. They spent $15 million on the crew’s coaching heart, which opened in June 2022, in addition to $120 million on CPKC Stadium, which is set to be accomplished in 2024.