Last fall, Vlatko Andonovski had a crisis of faith.
In August, he resigned as the head coach of the U.S. women’s national team after their exit from the 2023 World Cup. The round of 16 loss to Sweden was followed by a cacophony of criticism, capped by an early December release of a four-part Netflix documentary that put the whole tournament under a microscope again.
He retreated, not just from soccer, but from the world in general. He spent time with friends and family, went back home to North Macedonia, and got together a big extended family reunion in Spain. He didn’t watch any soccer and he definitely didn’t want to go to any public events, not even to see his beloved Kansas City Chiefs.
“There was a moment there,” he said, “That I was like, ‘Do I really love this game anymore?’”
In the Marriott hotel lobby adjoining the Anaheim Convention Center, Andonovski nodded politely to the occasional passerby who recognized him while speaking with The Athletic but mostly stayed out of the way on a couch removed from the main hustle of attendees at the United Soccer Coaches convention. He was there to draft players for his new employer, the Kansas City Current, ahead of the 2024 season. Andonovski focused the conversation on the upcoming NWSL season, the team’s…
