United States women’s team coach Vlatko Andonovski has resigned following the team’s poor showing in the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, American media reported on Wednesday.
ESPN, 90min and The Athletic said that an official announcement on Andonovski’s departure would be made on Thursday.
And a legendary coach who led the USA to back-to-back wins in 2015 and 2019 says Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson should be among the contenders to take over.
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The USA were eliminated in the last 16 by Sweden after a penalty shoot, the earliest the team has ever departed from a World Cup.
The Americans had won the previous two World Cups, in 2015 and 2019 with Jill Ellis in charge of the team – and with Tony Gustavsson as her assistant.
Now Ellis believes the Swedish coach could be the right man to return the four-time winners to the winner’s circle.
“He should definitely be a strong candidate for the job,” Ellis told ESPN.
“I don’t think people are giving him and his staff enough credit for having navigated most of this tournament without arguably one of the best players in the world (Sam Kerr).
“Most of us as coaches would not have said Australia was even close to being a contender without Kerr, so that’s pretty remarkable what they’ve been able to navigate as a staff.”
Gustavsson is contracted with Australia until the end of 2024 – after the Paris Olympics, where the Matildas will be hoping to improve on their best-ever fourth placed finish at Tokyo.
But the opportunity to take over the American heavyweights, who are incredibly well-resourced compared to the Matildas, would certainly be tempting – especially as the team undergoes a generational shift.
Andonovski, an American citizen who was born in North Macedonia, took over the team in October 2019 having made his name in the National Women’s Soccer League.
Under Andonovski the USA won a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics after losing to eventual champions Canada in the semi-finals.
The Athletic said that Twila Kilgore, assistant coach of the team, was expected to take over as interim head coach.
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Four male Matildas fans fined amid ‘rowdy’ celebrations at Federation Square
Plans to show the Matildas’ third place playoff at Federation Square in Melbourne could be cancelled thanks to the “idiot” behaviour of young male fans.
Four men were fined after more than 50 flares were set off at the fan event where crowds reached capacity an hour before kick-off in the World Cup semi-final.
Victoria Police said it had been a “challenging” night for officers trying to keep fans safe as they watched the Matildas go down 3-1 to England.
“We saw a large rowdy group of mainly male youths, part of the active supporter groups, discharge and throw a significant number of flares,” a spokesman said.
Four males, aged 16 to 23, were fined $962 for possessing flares, and another 16-year-old male was cautioned in relation to throwing a flare.
Police said they’ve secured CCTV footage and detectives will investigate.
The third place playoff was due to be screened at Federation Square on Sunday night for fans who couldn’t make the trek to Brisbane for the match.
But that could now be scrapped, Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp confirmed.
“Those idiots ruin it for the rest of us,” she told 3AW radio.
“So pleased nobody was hurt but more than 50 flares really disappointing. So if we could find those idiots and make sure they don’t attend, then fed square will be going off again.”
She said Victoria Police were having a “good think” and would advise if the event could go ahead in the coming days.
But the councillor assured diehards there would be “lots of live sites” for people to enjoy the match.
Federation Square was filled with some 10,000 revellers on Wednesday evening, and fans were directed to watch the game at the live site at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium (AAMI Park).
But some fans instead stormed barriers to gain entry to Federation Square instead.
“Officers were constantly trying to ensure the safety of the crowd, managing and monitoring public order at the Federation Square site; however, at times multiple temporary fences, which were in place to assist with managing the crowd, were breached,” police said.
The spokesman confirmed police were “very happy” with the overall behaviour of fans at AAMI Park and the packed bars and pubs around Melbourne’s CBD.
“There were no incidents of note at AAMI Park, other than a penalty notice issued to a male who was in possession of a flare,” they said.
