The USWNT struggled to find their form in the 2023 World Cup, failing to emulate their dominance from previous editions. Following their shocking exit, the head coach parted ways with the team amidst constant criticism about his managerial responsibilities. In this case, the co-captain spoke out about the coaching decisions that had a significant impact on their poor stint in the tournament.
The U.S. women’s team won only one out of four games under the Vlatko Andonovski following their early exit in the round of 16 at the World Cup. Lindsey Horan did not mince her words while describing a number of tactical problems that affected the performance of the USWNT. Furthermore, Lyon’s midfielder revealed how the team took responsibility for changing their dynamics rather than relying on the manager to play any role in their performance.
USWNT co-captain speaks out on managerial issues
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The U.S. women’s team significantly underperformed their expected goals of 3.8 per game in the group stage, scoring only four goals with missed penalties and numerous chances. The initial use of an ineffective 4-3-3 formation made it difficult for them to control the midfield and create scoring opportunities throughout the tournament. On a talk show, the USWNT co-captain revealed their best performance in the World Cup came against Sweden when they changed their formation to 4-2-3-1 and could control the game and create more passing sequences. Surprisingly, Lindsey Horan implied that the players themselves made the tactical changes during the game, without any official communication from the coaching staff.
Horan remarked on the Re-Cap show, “The game against Sweden, I don’t think we were necessarily set up to play the way that we played. That was just us finally coming together and being like, This is what we’re going to do.’ And then it worked”.
Lindsey Horan believed that the young players on the USWNT, such as Sophia Smith and Alyssa Thompson, were unable to reach their full potential due to a formation that did not suit their playing style. The Ex-Portland Thorns forward added, “I don’t think we got the absolute best out of some of them because of the way that we were set up, and some of the things that we did in the game.” The over-reliance on the debutants by the head coach, along with the flawed formation, made it difficult for the team to create a cohesive playing style during the entire campaign.
Meanwhile, The USWNT was currently searching for a new head coach after their former coach resigned following the team’s early exit from the World Cup.
Who will be the next Head Coach?
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The U.S. women’s team had the worst campaign in the World Cup this season. The USWNT lost to Sweden in the Round of 16 on penalties after a scoreless draw, marking their earliest exit from the World Cup. USWNT former head coach Andonovski stepped down after facing backlash for his poor in-game management, such as his reluctance to make substitutions. As of now, the WNT is in search of a new responsible coach for the team after a disastrous performance in the greatest stage of soccer.
According to reports, Lluis Cortés, formerly the coach of FC Barcelona Femeni, was one of the frontrunners for the position of USWNT coach. The board was hopeful that Cortés’s success in Barcelona and the Ukrainian national team would help the Star and the Stripes turn things around and address its flaws.
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