Vlatko Andonovski
Andonovski with the U.S. women's national team in 2019
Personal information
Full name Vlatko Andonovski[1]
Date of birth (1976-09-14) 14 September 1976 (age 47)[2]
Place of birth Skopje, SFR Yugoslavia[2]
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[3]
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
FK Rabotnički
Makedonija GP
Vardar
2000 Wichita Wings (indoor) 31 (16)
2001–2005 Kansas City Comets (indoor) 110 (48)
2005 California Cougars (indoor) 6 (1)
2005–2006 Philadelphia KiXX (indoor) 13 (2)
2015 Missouri Comets (indoor) 1 (0)
Managerial career
2010–2013 Missouri Comets (assistant)
2013–2016 Missouri Comets
2013–2017 FC Kansas City
2018–2019 Reign FC
2019–2023 United States (women)
2023– Kansas City Current
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

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.[4] He was the head coach of the United States women's national team from 2019[5] to 2023.[6]

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,[7] competing in the First Macedonian Football League, European Cup and Intertoto Cup.[8]

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.[9]

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.[citation needed]

Managerial career

On December 5, 2012, Andonovski signed a contract to become the head coach of FC Kansas City.[8] 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.[10][11][12]

On November 7, 2017, Andonovski moved to Seattle Reign FC, succeeding Laura Harvey as head coach.[13] 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.[14]

Andonovski received significant praise from media[15] 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.[16]

Andonovski was named the head coach of the United States women's national team on 28 October 2019.[17]

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.[18][19] 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.[20]

On October 23, 2023, Andonovski returned to the NWSL as he was hired as head coach and sporting director of the Kansas City Current.[4]

Personal life

Andonovski was born in Skopje, SR Macedonia, SFR Yugoslavia (now North Macedonia),[2] 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

As of August 17, 2023
Team Nat Year Record
G W L T Win %
FC Kansas City[23][24] United States 2013–2017[a] 91 43 28 20 047.25
Kansas City Comets[23] United States 2013–2016[b] 73 58 15 0 079.45
Reign FC[24][c] United States 2018–2019[d] 48 21 11 16 043.75
United States (women) United States 2019–2023 65 51 5 9 078.46
Career Total 277 173 59 45 062.45
  1. ^ Statistics include NWSL Playoffs; see club page for further information.
  2. ^ See club page for further information.
  3. ^ This club was known as Seattle Reign FC in the 2018 season.
  4. ^ Statistics exclude NWSL Playoffs; see club page for further information.

Honors

Playing

Individual[22]

Coaching

High School / Youth[2]

Kansas City Comets

FC Kansas City

United States

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Women's Olympic Football Tournament Tokyo 2020: Squad list, USA" (PDF). FIFA. 7 July 2021. p. 11. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Vlatko Andonovski". United States Soccer Federation. Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  3. ^ "Vlatko Andonovski". Kansas City Comets. Archived from the original on 7 November 2006. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  4. ^ a b "KC Current Announce Vlatko Andonovski as Head Coach and Sporting Director - Kansas City Current". www.kansascitycurrent.com. 23 October 2023. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  5. ^ Goulding, Georgia (31 July 2020). "Opinion: Vlatko Already Commands More Respect than Jill Ellis". Her Football Hub. Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  6. ^ Hub, Her Football (19 July 2023). "2023 Women's World Cup: Ultimate group stage guide for all 32 countries". Her Football Hub. Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Македонецот Влатко Андоновски Е Нов Селектор На Американските Фудбалерки". 28 October 2019. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Andonovski named FC Kansas City head coach". equalizersoccer.com. 5 December 2012. Archived from the original on 10 September 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  9. ^ Tannenwald, Jonathan (16 October 2019). "Who is Vlatko Andonovski? Here's what to know about the potential next USWNT coach". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 18 October 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  10. ^ "Coaches". fckansascity.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  11. ^ "Vlatko Andonovski will coach both FC Kansas City and Comets". Kansas City Star. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  12. ^ "Comets Appoint Andonovski As Coach". MISL. 29 August 2013. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  13. ^ "Laura Harvey Steps Down as Head Coach and GM; Vlatko Andonovski Named Head Coach of Reign FC". Seattle Reign FC. 7 November 2017. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  14. ^ "Twelve Coaches from MLS, NWSL and USL Complete Third U.S. Soccer Prp License Course". US Soccer. 17 December 2018. Archived from the original on 18 October 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  15. ^ Musarurwa, Kudzi (1 October 2019). "You're a wizard Vlatko Andonovski". All For XI. Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  16. ^ Cristobal, Jacob (29 September 2019). "Reign FC clinch playoff spot with victory over Portland". Sounder At Heart. Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  17. ^ "Vlatko Andonovski Named Head Coach of U.S. Women's National Team". US Soccer. 28 October 2019. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  18. ^ Herrera, Sandra. "USWNT take bronze at Tokyo Olympics: What went wrong in pursuit of gold, and what's next for USA soccer?". CBS Sports. CBS. Archived from the original on 17 August 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  19. ^ Quinonez, Hope (13 July 2021). "How the USWNT Has Performed at Every Olympics in History". Girls Soccer Network. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  20. ^ Peterson, Anne M. "US women's national team coach Vlatko Andonovski resigns after early World Cup exit, AP source says". AP News. The Associated Press. Archived from the original on 17 August 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  21. ^ Hays, Graham (17 October 2020). "Stanford star Catarina Macario ready for new chapter with U.S. women's national team". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  22. ^ a b "Coaching Staff". cometsindoorsoccer.com. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  23. ^ a b Kerkhoff, Blair (28 October 2019). "World Cup champion U.S. soccer team has a new coach: Kansas City's Vlatko Andonovski". Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  24. ^ a b "Andonovski Departs Reign FC; Named USWNT Head Coach". Reign FC. 28 October 2019. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  25. ^ Das, Andrew (19 July 2022). "U.S. Women Beat Canada to Claim Spot in Paris Olympics". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  26. ^ Kemp, Emma (5 August 2021). "Australia 3-4 USA: Tokyo Olympics 2020 women's football bronze medal match – as it happened". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  27. ^ "NWSL Coach of the Year: Vlatko Andonovski". NWSL. 26 August 2013. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2013.

External links

United States squads
Managerial positions
NWSL Coach of the Year Award
Current head coaches of the National Women's Soccer League
Kansas City Current – current squad
Categories