Vlatko Andonovski: Questionable Coaching at the Olympics

The USWNT certainly did not show how the world expected it to at the Olympics. While a combination of factors could have led to their less-than-ideal performance, the attention is turned to Coach Vlatko Andonovski. 

All eyes have been on him following the USWNT’s Olympic performance particularly because of his 44-game unbeaten streak prior to the Games. Here’s a look at Vlatko Andonovksi and his part in the USWNT’s run at this Olympic Games. 

An Aged Roster 

When the Olympic roster came out back in June, the question that everyone had in the back of their minds was, “where are the new players?” The Olympic roster had an average age of 30.8, which is higher than any other team. 

It was understandable for Vlatko Andonovski to choose a veteran team with a ton of experience. Yet, it became evident that this might not have been the right fit for such a grueling tournament like the Olympics. In the Olympics, players only get a few days to rest and recover between games. In addition, Olympic rosters are tiny compared to other competitions, which means the same players must get ready to play game after game. 

This especially became apparent when Lynn Williams, age 28, started twice and gave the team some much-needed energy. Williams was originally only included as an alternate on the team. Luckily, she was able to contribute so much after the Olympic committee changed the roster allowance. Williams, a newbie to the Olympics, showed the power of younger, hungrier, and less experienced talent. While the USWNT had no talent shortage, Andonovski might have been wiser to choose a younger team. 

An Unenthusiastic Attack 

One of the biggest criticisms of the team’s performance stems from their energy and their attack. Unfortunately, they practically had neither, as they were shut out three times during the tournament. 

During their first game against Australia, the USWNT did not look like themselves at all. Yes, Andonovski was strategic; he saved his players’ energy when they were guaranteed a pass to the quarterfinals. But, it was just a poor performance that totally lacked inspiration, energy, and enthusiasm. As a result, they had no attacking rhythm or will to win and settled with a 0-0 draw. 

Confusing Lineups and Substitutions

Andonovski is also being criticized for his substitutions. In the game against the Netherlands, he made the decision to pull the entire front line after the US conceded a goal. Not only is it a poor decision to swap out an entire line, but to do so directly following a mistake does not give the right message. 

Andonovski opted to pull out the forward line, including Lynn Williams, when she had assisted Sam Mewis’ goal, scored one of her own, and had a fantastic performance overall. He also refused to give Christen Press the playing time she deserved. Press had a great performance during this Olympics, yet Andonovski only started her in three of the six games. 

Luckily, the USWNT gained momentum in the bronze medal match against Australia. They won 4-3 and scored quality goals. However, even though they took home the bronze, the question still looms of what went wrong during the rest of the Olympics, and how Vlatko Andonovski will address it for the future of the USWNT. 

Featured image via @USWNT on Twitter

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