Vlatko Andonovski Explained

Vlatko Andonovski
Fullname:Vlatko Andonovski[1]
Birth Date:1976 9, df=yes
Birth Place:Skopje, SFR Yugoslavia
Height:1.85 m[2]
Position:Central defender
Clubs1:FK Rabotnički
Clubs2:Makedonija GP
Clubs3:Vardar
Years4:2000
Clubs4:Wichita Wings (indoor)
Caps4:31
Goals4:16
Years5:2001–2005
Clubs5:Kansas City Comets (indoor)
Caps5:110
Goals5:48
Years6:2005
Clubs6:California Cougars (indoor)
Caps6:6
Goals6:1
Years7:2005–2006
Clubs7:Philadelphia KiXX (indoor)
Caps7:13
Goals7:2
Years8:2015
Clubs8:Missouri Comets (indoor)
Caps8:1
Goals8:0
Manageryears1:2010–2013
Managerclubs1:Missouri Comets (assistant)
Manageryears2:2013–2016
Managerclubs2:Missouri Comets
Manageryears3:2013–2017
Managerclubs3:FC Kansas City
Manageryears4:2018–2019
Managerclubs4:Reign FC
Manageryears5:2019–2023
Managerclubs5:United States (women)
Manageryears6:2023–
Managerclubs6:Kansas City Current

Vlatko Andonovski (Macedonian: Влатко Андоновски; born 14 September 1976) is a Macedonian-American association football manager and former player who is the head coach and sporting director of the Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League.[3] He was the head coach of the United States women's national team from 2019[4] to 2023.[5]

Andonovski previously coached FC Kansas City and Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League, as well as the Missouri Comets in the Major Arena Soccer League.

Playing career

A central defender, Andonovski played six seasons for multiple clubs in Europe, such as FK Rabotnički, Makedonija GP and FK Vardar,[6] competing in the First Macedonian Football League, European Cup and Intertoto Cup.[7]

In 2000, Andonovski signed with the Wichita Wings of the National Professional Soccer League and later played for the Kansas City Comets, California Cougars and Philadelphia Kixx of the Major Indoor Soccer League in his indoor career.[8]

On February 8, 2015, Andonovski and Wichita B-52s coach Kim Røntved came out of retirement to play against each other for their respective teams for one game.

Managerial career

On December 5, 2012, Andonovski signed a contract to become the head coach of FC Kansas City. He was hired as the head coach of Kansas City Comets on 29 August 2013, after being an assistant under Kim Røntved for three seasons. During the 2014 year of both programs, Andonovski won both the MISL Championship with the Comets and the NWSL Championship with FC Kansas City.[9] [10] [11]

On November 7, 2017, Andonovski moved to Seattle Reign FC, succeeding Laura Harvey as head coach.[12] During his tenure with the team, it moved from Seattle to Tacoma, Washington after the 2018 season and rebranded itself as Reign FC; it would rebrand again in 2020 as OL Reign.

Andonovski holds a USSF Pro License and a United Soccer Coaches (formerly NSCAA) Goalkeeping Diploma and has been involved with many youth teams and clubs in the Kansas City area.[13]

Andonovski received significant praise from media[14] and players alike for his role in the Reign's 2019 season. Despite losing a significant number of players to various injuries and the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, Andonovski managed the team to a 4th-place finish in the NWSL and a second straight playoff berth.[15]

Andonovski was named the head coach of the United States women's national team on 28 October 2019.[16]

Andonovski led the United States to a bronze medal in the 2020 Olympics, which was criticized by some observers as an underperformance from a team which had won four previous Olympic gold medals.[17] [18] He remained with the team through the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, at which the U.S. was eliminated in a penalty shootout against Sweden in the round of 16, which was the team's earliest exit in a World Cup. Less than two weeks later, on August 16, Andonovski resigned as head coach.[19]

On October 23, 2023, Andonovski returned to the NWSL as he was hired as head coach and sporting director of the Kansas City Current.[3]

Personal life

Andonovski was born in Skopje, SR Macedonia, SFR Yugoslavia (now North Macedonia),[20] and became a U.S. citizen in 2015.[21] He is a 2008 graduate of Park University with a Bachelor of Arts in business administration/management. He earned a Master's in Soccer Coaching Education (MSC) from Ohio University in 2017. Andonovski resides in Kansas City, Missouri, with his wife, Biljana, and their three children, Dragana, Luka, and Daria.[22]

Managerial statistics

TeamNatYearRecord
GWLTWin %
FC Kansas City2013–2017
Kansas City Comets[23] 2013–2016
Reign FC[24] 2018–2019
United States (women)2019–2023
Kansas City Current2023–
Career Total

Honors

Playing

Individual

Coaching

High School / Youth[20]

Kansas City Comets

2013–14

FC Kansas City

United States

2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

Individual

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Women's Olympic Football Tournament Tokyo 2020: Squad list, USA. FIFA. 11. 7 July 2021. 7 July 2021. 9 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211209032518/https://fdp.fifa.org/assetspublic/ce5/pdf/SquadLists-English.pdf. live.
  2. Web site: Vlatko Andonovski. Kansas City Comets. 12 April 2023. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20061107044007/http://www.kccomets.com/players/?id=1. 7 November 2006.
  3. Web site: KC Current Announce Vlatko Andonovski as Head Coach and Sporting Director - Kansas City Current. 23 October 2023. www.kansascitycurrent.com. 26 October 2023. 26 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231026114955/https://www.kansascitycurrent.com/news/kc-current-announce-vlatko-andonovski-as-head-coach-and-spor. live.
  4. Web site: Goulding. Georgia. 2020-07-31. Opinion: Vlatko Already Commands More Respect than Jill Ellis. 2023-10-12. Her Football Hub. en-GB. 5 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231005030201/https://herfootballhub.com/vlatko-commands-more-respect-than-jill-ellis/. live.
  5. Web site: Hub . Her Football . 2023-07-19 . 2023 Women's World Cup: Ultimate group stage guide for all 32 countries . 2023-10-23 . Her Football Hub . en-GB . 5 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231005015535/https://herfootballhub.com/2023-womens-world-cup-group-stage-guide-all-countries/ . live .
  6. Web site: Македонецот Влатко Андоновски Е Нов Селектор На Американските Фудбалерки. 28 October 2019. 18 January 2020. 24 February 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200224113953/https://sdk.mk/index.php/sportski-prikazni/makedonetsot-vlatko-andonovski-e-nov-selektor-na-amerikanskite-fudbalerki/. live.
  7. Web site: Andonovski named FC Kansas City head coach. 5 December 2012. equalizersoccer.com. 14 July 2013. 10 September 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130910182155/http://equalizersoccer.com/2012/12/05/andonovski-named-fc-kansas-city-head-coach/. live.
  8. News: Tannenwald . Jonathan . Who is Vlatko Andonovski? Here's what to know about the potential next USWNT coach. . 18 October 2019 . The Philadelphia Inquirer . 16 October 2019 . 18 October 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191018090855/https://www.inquirer.com/soccer/vlatko-andonovski-uswnt-coach-jill-ellis-reign-fc-20191016.html . live .
  9. Web site: Coaches. fckansascity.com. 14 July 2013. 4 December 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121204082204/http://www.fckansascity.com/coaches/. live.
  10. News: Vlatko Andonovski will coach both FC Kansas City and Comets . Kansas City Star . 29 August 2013 . 30 August 2013.
  11. Web site: Comets Appoint Andonovski As Coach . MISL . 29 August 2013 . 29 August 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140223004733/http://misl.uslsoccer.com/home/751531.html . 23 February 2014 . dead.
  12. News: Laura Harvey Steps Down as Head Coach and GM; Vlatko Andonovski Named Head Coach of Reign FC. 7 November 2017. Seattle Reign FC. 7 November 2017. 6 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190306042709/https://medium.com/@ReignFC/laura-harvey-steps-down-as-head-coach-and-gm-vlatko-andonovski-named-head-coach-of-reign-fc-e46166c9cf42. live.
  13. News: Twelve Coaches from MLS, NWSL and USL Complete Third U.S. Soccer Prp License Course . 18 October 2019 . US Soccer . 17 December 2018 . 18 October 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191018091432/https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2018/12/twelve-coaches-from-mls-nwsl-and-usl-complete-third-us-soccer-pro-license-course . live .
  14. Web site: You're a wizard Vlatko Andonovski. Musarurwa. Kudzi. 1 October 2019. All For XI. en. 22 October 2019. 22 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191022005443/https://www.allforxi.com/2019/10/1/20891502/reign-fc-youre-a-wizard-vlatko-andonovski. live.
  15. Web site: Reign FC clinch playoff spot with victory over Portland. Cristobal. Jacob. 29 September 2019. Sounder At Heart. en. 22 October 2019. 22 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191022005441/https://www.sounderatheart.com/2019/9/29/20889838/reign-fc-thorns-fc-recap-reign-clinch-playoff-spot. live.
  16. News: Vlatko Andonovski Named Head Coach of U.S. Women's National Team . 28 October 2019 . US Soccer . 28 October 2019 . 11 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201111201947/https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2019/10/vlatko-andonovski-named-head-coach-of-us-womens-national-team . live .
  17. Web site: Herrera . Sandra . USWNT take bronze at Tokyo Olympics: What went wrong in pursuit of gold, and what's next for USA soccer? . CBS Sports . 5 August 2021 . CBS . 17 August 2023 . Bronze . 17 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230817054247/https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/uswnt-take-bronze-at-tokyo-olympics-what-went-wrong-in-pursuit-of-gold-and-whats-next-for-usa-soccer/ . live .
  18. Web site: Quinonez . Hope . 2021-07-13 . How the USWNT Has Performed at Every Olympics in History . 2023-09-21 . Girls Soccer Network . en-US . 23 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231023121316/https://girlssoccernetwork.com/uswnt-olympics-history/ . live .
  19. Web site: Peterson . Anne M. . US women's national team coach Vlatko Andonovski resigns after early World Cup exit, AP source says . AP News . 17 August 2023 . The Associated Press . 17 August 2023 . Resignation . 17 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230817040105/https://apnews.com/article/andonovski-resigns-us-womens-national-team-f7bee4f5a7e489d54f9c853e01fe8ba6 . live .
  20. Web site: Vlatko Andonovski . . 28 February 2023 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230221013704/https://www.ussoccer.com/players/a/vlatko-andonovski . 21 February 2023.
  21. Web site: Hays . Graham . 17 October 2020 . Stanford star Catarina Macario ready for new chapter with U.S. women's national team . 22 October 2020 . ESPN.com . 21 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201021001257/https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-states-usaw/story/4209476/stanford-star-catarina-macario-ready-for-new-chapter-with-us-womens-national-team . live .
  22. Web site: Coaching Staff . 14 July 2013 . cometsindoorsoccer.com . 17 January 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130117132350/http://www.cometsindoorsoccer.com/club/coachingstaff.php . live .
  23. News: Kerkhoff . Blair . World Cup champion U.S. soccer team has a new coach: Kansas City's Vlatko Andonovski . 30 October 2019 . Kansas City Star . 28 October 2019 . 30 October 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191030100019/https://www.kansascity.com/sports/mls/article236747923.html . live .
  24. News: Andonovski Departs Reign FC; Named USWNT Head Coach . 30 October 2019 . Reign FC . 28 October 2019 . 24 January 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200124040414/https://www.reignfc.com/news/2019/10/28/andonovski-departs-reign-fc-named-uswnt-head-coach . dead .
  25. News: Das . Andrew . July 19, 2022 . U.S. Women Beat Canada to Claim Spot in Paris Olympics . The New York Times . 13 January 2023 . 19 July 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220719122640/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/19/sports/soccer/uswnt-canada-concacaf-w-championship.html . live .
  26. Web site: Kemp . Emma . 5 August 2021 . Australia 3-4 USA: Tokyo Olympics 2020 women's football bronze medal match – as it happened . 13 January 2023 . the Guardian . 13 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230113112046/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2021/aug/05/australia-vs-usa-w-live-tokyo-olympics-2020-football-soccer-bronze-medal-matildas-v-uswnt-2021-olympic-games-womens-international-tournament-how-to-watch-nbc-seven-what-time-team-when-kick-off-tonight-scores-players-teams-latest-news-updates . live .
  27. Web site: NWSL Coach of the Year: Vlatko Andonovski . NWSL . 26 August 2013 . 30 August 2013 . 30 October 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131030045748/http://www.nwslsoccer.com/home/750584.html . live .