Category: USWNT

USWNT drops to all-time low FIFA ranking after World Cup failure

It’s the first time the USWNT is outside the top two since the rankings were introduced in 2003

For the first time in the history of the FIFA women’s rankings, the U.S. women’s national team has dropped out of the top two.

The USWNT dropped from first to third in the newest edition of the rankings, which were released on Friday. Sweden, which eliminated the USWNT in the World Cup round of 16 and ultimately finished third, moved from third in the rankings to first.

Spain, the World Cup champion, moved from sixth to second.

The USWNT had been atop the FIFA world rankings for six years, having held the top spot since June 2017. Since FIFA introduced the rankings in 2003, the USWNT had always been in the top two.

The fallout from the USWNT’s World Cup failure has been swift. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski stepped down last week after four years at the helm, and was replaced by Twila Kilgore on an interim basis.

This week, USWNT captain Lindsey Horan made some eye-opening comments about the World Cup, stating her belief that the team wasn’t adequately set up to succeed, and hinting that the structural changes made for the Sweden mach were initialed by the players, rather than the coaches.

August 2023 FIFA women’s rankings

  1. Sweden
  2. Spain
  3. USA
  4. England
  5. France
  6. Germany
  7. Netherlands
  8. Japan
  9. Brazil
  10. Canada

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World Cup TV ratings in the U.S. were unsurprisingly not great

The time difference combined with the USWNT’s underperformance were tough to overcome

With overnight kickoff times and the U.S. women’s national team badly underperforming, it was no surprise that the 2023 Women’s World Cup posted its lowest average English-language TV audience in the United States since 2007.

According to Sports Media Watch, the recently completed World Cup in Australia and New Zealand averaged 669,000 viewers for games across Fox and FS1.

That figure is down 60 percent from the 2019 World Cup in France, which averaged 1.66 million viewers per game. It is also the lowest total since the 2007 World Cup on ESPN and ESPN2 (288,000), which took place in China — a similarly difficult time zone for American viewers.

The USWNT drew strong ratings for its first two games, which both kicked off at 9 p.m. ET: 5,261,000 viewers watched the opener against Vietnam, while 6,429,000 tuned in for the second game against the Netherlands.

Fox then drew 1,354,000 viewers for the USWNT’s group-stage finale against Portugal, which began at 3 a.m. ET. Despite the drop in viewers, it was still the most-watched overnight (3-6 a.m. ET) telecast in Fox history.

But the USWNT’s second-place finish in the group stage was a major blow to American viewership. Rather than two potential prime-time kickoffs in the round of 16 and quarterfinal, the U.S. was staring down a path to the final that would only feature overnight start times.

Of course, the U.S. would only play one knockout stage game: a round of 16 defeat to Sweden. With a 5 a.m. ET kickoff, the game drew 2.5 million viewers.

In a sign that the USWNT is still a major draw, the team’s four games averaged 3,795,000 viewers, which is actually up two percent over 2019 despite having two overnight kickoff times.

“The two [USWNT games] that were played in prime, I think, would have been even surpassed once we got to the knockout stages. The stakes would have been higher,” Michael Mulvihill, Fox’s president of insights and analytics, said in an interview with Deadline.

Perhaps the biggest indication of how the time difference and USWNT underperformance combined to hurt TV ratings can be seen in the final.

With a 6 a.m. ET kickoff on Sunday, the final between England and Spain drew 1.66 million viewers on Fox. That figure was down 88 percent from the 13.98 million who watched the USWNT defeat the Netherlands in the 2019 final, which kicked off at 11 a.m. ET.

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Rapinoe hits out at ‘deep level of misogyny’ in Spanish federation

Luis Rubiales is under fire for kissing Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Sunday’s World Cup final

Megan Rapinoe has slammed the Spanish soccer federation and its president Luis Rubiales, who is under fire for kissing Spain star Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Sunday’s World Cup final.

After Spain beat England in the final, Rubiales embraced Hermoso and kissed her during the post-game medal ceremony.

The incident has drawn widespread criticism, with Spain’s acting prime minister Pedro Sánchez saying on Tuesday that an apology from Rubiales “wasn’t sufficient.”

Rapinoe has joined in on the chorus of critics, connecting the kiss to more widespread issues between the Spanish federation and its women’s national team.

“[The kiss] made me think about how much we are required to endure,” the U.S. national team forward said in an interview with The Atlantic.

“Think how much that Spanish team had to shoulder: Some of the players who stood up way back last year still aren’t on the team. Maybe that was something that galvanized them, but you shouldn’t have to have that.

“There was another picture that signals such a deep level of misogyny and sexism in that federation and in that man (Rubiales) at the final whistle, just grabbing his crotch. What kind of upside-down world are we in? On the biggest stage, where you should be celebrating, Jenni has to be physically assaulted by this guy.”

In September of last year, 15 players on the Spain women’s national team wrote identical letters to the Spanish federation demanding widespread changes within the program, including more investment in staff and travel.

The Spanish federation also said those players demanded the ouster of head coach Jorge Vilda. Not only did the federation refuse to fire Vilda, it demanded that any player who sent the letter apologize before being allowed back into the team.

Of the 15 players who wrote the letter, only three were named to the roster that eventually won the World Cup.

The Spanish federation has said it will hold an emergency Extraordinary General Assembly on Friday to discuss the issue with Rubiales.

“Based on the latest events that took place during the award ceremony of the Women’s World Cup won by the Spanish national team last Sunday in Sydney, the federation wishes to inform that the internal proceedings of the federation regarding integrity issues are open, as well as the rest of the applicable protocols,” a statement read.

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‘I wish we’d done that earlier’: Rapinoe says USWNT changes came too late at World Cup

“Was there a little bit more in the tournament for us? Yes, I think so”

Megan Rapinoe has joined a growing list of people saying the U.S. women’s national team should have made earlier adjustments during this summer’s World Cup.

In an interview with The Atlantic published on Tuesday, Rapinoe — who before the tournament had announced plans to retire at the end of the 2023 NWSL season — acknowledged that the changed approach seen in the team’s round of 16 meeting with Sweden would have helped the team in the group stage.

“It felt a lot more fluid,” said Rapinoe. “I think we set up more to our strengths and what was going to make us hard to beat. I wish we’d done that earlier, because we would’ve had more time with it. But obviously, hindsight is 20/20.”

USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski resigned after the team had its worst-ever showing at a World Cup. He drew intense criticism from pundits for an oddly-implemented 4-3-3 formation that prioritized pushing numbers high up the field over midfield connections on both sides of the ball.

Facing the Swedes without a suspended Rose Lavelle, the U.S. switched things up. Defender Emily Sonnett was deployed as a surprise midfield starter in a 4-2-3-1, while the aggressive early runs from midfield were held until the team had progressed further up the field in possession.

The changes worked to some degree: the USWNT saved their best performance for their toughest opponent, only to go out on penalties after finishing troubles undermined their play.

Rapinoe: USWNT could have gone further

The USWNT’s tactical issues in the group stage contributed to being second-best for a substantial chunk of a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands, as well as a dispiriting scoreless draw against Portugal that nearly saw the team eliminated in stoppage time.

In a different formation, and with more consistent numbers in the midfield, the U.S. looked like a more formidable foe. A win over the Dutch, in particular, would have secured the top spot in Group E, which in turn would have resulted in a less daunting round of 16 clash against South Africa (a team the USWNT has beaten in every previous meeting without so much as conceding a goal).

Lindsey Horan, whose own role within the two approaches was markedly different, hinted on the RE-CAP Show podcast that the players may have tweaked the team’s planned tactics on their own.

While saying that the tactical changes should have come earlier, Rapinoe was a bit more philosophical in evaluating the World Cup as a whole.

“Was there a little bit more in the tournament for us? Yes, I think so,” said the 38-year-old, echoing the thoughts of many outside the team’s bubble. “But in the end, I think we played as good as we could, and we tried as hard as we could, and sometimes you lose… I don’t look at it as this devastating thing and a verdict on who we are as players or as a team.”

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USWNT captain Horan takes aim at coaching staff over World Cup failure

Horan said the USWNT’s issues were due in part to how they were set up

Lindsey Horan has aimed some thinly veiled criticism at former U.S. women’s national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski and his staff, saying that part of the team’s World Cup failure came down to them not being set up to succeed.

The USWNT crashed out in the round of 16 for its worst World Cup finish ever, winning just one of four games at the tournament.

Andonovski stepped down last week in the aftermath of the World Cup, which followed a disappointing bronze medal finish at the Olympics in 2021 in his first major tournament as USWNT coach.

The coach was heavily criticized at the World Cup over various issues, but one of the common themes was the USWNT’s problems playing out of a 4-3-3 setup that saw them struggle to connect passing sequences.

The USWNT’s best performance of the tournament came in the round of 16 against Sweden, which saw the team switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation that resulted in much more control of the game. Ultimately, the U.S. couldn’t find the net and was eliminated on penalties after a 0-0 draw.

Appearing on The RE-CAP Show with ex-USWNT teammates Tobin Heath and Christen Press, USWNT captain Horan hinted that the changes for the Sweden game came from the players themselves — not the coaching staff.

“The game against Sweden, I don’t think we were necessarily set up to play the way that we played,” Horan said. “That was just us finally coming together and being like, ‘This is what we’re going to do.’ And then it worked and then it’s like, ‘OK, keep doing it.’ Could that have happened earlier? Maybe. It’s a really tough one.”

AP Photo/Abbie Parr

Horan said in her role as captain, she tried to help out some of the younger players the USWNT needed to rely on in the tournament, including Sophia Smith.

After a double to open the tournament against Vietnam, Smith didn’t score in the team’s final three games. According to Horan, the reason Smith and some of the USWNT’s other young stars didn’t perform up to expectations was the way they were set up by the coaching staff.

“I made it a point to help Soph Smith as much as possible in this tournament because I think she has a lot of pressure on her back,” Horan said. “I want to make sure she’s in a good place and some of the younger players are in a really good place, because they’re going to have massive roles. And so it was like, could I have done more to help those players? Because 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.”

Horan added: “I [have been] killing myself for the last two weeks. Like what the heck could I have done to help or to push our playing style or to push this bravery? And at the end of the day, it’s like you’re set up in a structure to do this. And here’s your opportunity individually, like just go play within the structure.”

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Thompson opens up on ‘sad’ and ‘lonely’ World Cup experience

The teenager admitted her first World Cup wasn’t always an enjoyable experience

Alyssa Thompson has opened up on her first World Cup experience, admitting she felt sad and lonely at times during the tournament.

Thompson was the youngest player on the U.S. women’s national team roster, making her first World Cup squad at age 18.

The forward played in two of the USWNT’s four matches at the World Cup, making two appearances off the bench for a total of just over 15 minutes. The U.S. crashed out of the tournament in the last 16, falling to Sweden to seal the team’s worst-ever finish at a World Cup.

In an appearance on The RE-CAP Show with Tobin Heath and Christen Press, Thompson’s teammate with Angel City FC, the teenager admitted she felt low on confidence at times during the World Cup.

“Once we went to Auckland, I feel like I wasn’t performing as well as I could have,” Thompson said. “I feel like I was in my head a little after my first mistake. I was just like, ‘OK I’m so bad.’ I had a lot of negative talk in my head and I felt like I wasn’t doing as well as I should be doing.”

Thompson said that a few of her younger teammates on the USWNT helped her through some of the tough times.

“A lot of my teammates, like the younger girls, they saw that I was upset and they helped me a lot because they’ve been in my position before, being young on the team and coming up and knowing that you can be hard on yourself a lot. So yeah, they helped a lot.”

Even with the support of her teammates, Thompson admitted that she experienced some isolation during the World Cup.

“Throughout the tournament, there were some days when I was just sad,” Thompson said. “I felt really lonely some days, too. I feel like it’s a lot, that tournament. Playing or not, there’s different things too, and I wasn’t playing that much.

“I was happy for game day. I wasn’t as nervous as most people. I was more excited. I felt a lot like a fan watching the games.”

Thompson has now returned to Angel City, making her first post-World Cup appearance for the club by starting Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Racing Louisville.

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Sanchez delivers perfect response to USWNT World Cup snub

The 24-year-old took less than a minute to get on the scoresheet upon her Washington Spirit return

Ashley Sanchez did not take long to send a message to her now-former U.S. women’s national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski — and to whoever replaces him.

Sanchez was named to the USWNT’s World Cup roster but did not see a single minute of playing time at the tournament, as the team ultimately crashed out in the round of 16 for its worst World Cup finish ever.

That result ended up costing Andonovski his job, with the 46-year-old stepping down last week after four years at the helm.

Though Sanchez entered the World Cup with 24 caps, Andonovski opted to use the uncapped Savannah DeMelo ahead of her, with the Racing Louisville standout starting both of the USWNT’s first two games.

After a disappointing World Cup, Sanchez returned to the Washington Spirit on Saturday in a NWSL game at Houston. Less than a minute after coming off the bench, Sanchez made her presence felt.

It was Sanchez’s fifth NWSL goal of the season and her fourth consecutive league game with a goal. The Dash would ultimately level the match in stoppage time, as María Sánchez earned her side a 1-1 draw.

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Chelsea boss Hayes brushes off links with USWNT job

The 46-year-old attempted to distance herself from speculation around the USWNT job

Chelsea head coach Emma Hayes has brushed off speculation linking her with the vacant U.S. women’s national team job, saying her only focus is on the Blues.

Hayes has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Vlatko Andonovski, who resigned this week after the USWNT crashed out of the World Cup in the last 16.

Hayes is one of the most successful women’s coaches in English history, having won 15 trophies with Chelsea including six Women’s Super League titles.

The 46-year-old also has familiarity with the U.S. after coaching the Chicago Red Stars from 2008 to 2010, when the team was a member of the WPS. She also served as technical director for the Western New York Flash.

But ahead of the new WSL season, Hayes attempted to distance herself from talk that she could be a candidate to replace Andonovski.

Speaking to reporters at the FIFA Women’s Football Convention in Sydney on Friday, Hayes was asked about the USWNT role.

“I’m very happy at Chelsea,” Hayes said. “I’ve made that clear. I’ve been there for 11 years, it’s my home. I think the U.S. has wonderful players and perhaps the tournament didn’t go the way they wanted but my focus is on getting home and preparing the team for the start of the season.”

Former assistant Twila Kilgore has stepped in as USWNT interim head coach, with U.S. Soccer conducting a search for Andonovski’s permanent replacement.

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USWNT GM Kate Markgraf steps down as U.S. Soccer shake-up continues

The changes at U.S. Soccer just keep coming

The big changes with the U.S. women’s national team just keep coming.

USWNT general manager Kate Markgraf has stepped down from her post, with U.S. Soccer releasing a statement on Friday confirming an earlier report from Equalizer Soccer.

“After four years, Kate Markgraf has decided not to continue as the U.S. Women’s National Team General Manager with U.S. Soccer,” read U.S. Soccer’s official announcement. “She will provide support through the end of the month to assist in the transition.”

Markgraf was the first-ever GM for the USWNT program, taking over a newly-created role in August 2019 and overseeing both the senior team as well as youth national team programs.

“It has been an incredible honor to work with the players, coaches and staff at U.S. Soccer on the mission of keeping our program at the top of the women’s game,” said Markgraf. “I am proud of the foundation we have built, and even more proud of the character and commitment demonstrated by our players as they represent the United States on and off the field. I look forward to supporting all of our programs and have every confidence that we will maintain our standards of excellence moving forward.”

During her playing career, Markgraf was one of the “99ers,” the squad that won the historic 1999 World Cup, and amassed 201 caps from 1998-2010.

“Kate has been an instrumental part of women’s national team both on and off the field for many years, and we’re very thankful for the tireless work she has given to the USWNT and all our youth national teams,” said U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker. “We wish her all the best in her future endeavors and look forward to building on the foundation she helped establish over the past several years.”

U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone, who was Markgraf’s teammate on the USWNT for many years, added that the federation is “grateful to Kate for the tremendous work she has done in helping guide our women’s national team and the transformative work on our youth women’s national team programs. Her knowledge and experience have been incredibly valuable, and we are poised to build on that foundation as we look to the future.”

Murky future for USWNT

U.S. Soccer did not announce next steps in announcing the news, which is yet another major change in direction for the federation. Crocker only recently started as the full-time sporting director after Earnie Stewart’s departure in January. The end of Stewart’s tenure coincided with U.S. Soccer’s men’s general manager, Brian McBride, not being retained after his contract expired.

USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski resigned from the job earlier this week after a disappointing World Cup ended in the team’s earliest-ever exit from the tournament. Twila Kilgore has been appointed interim head coach.

The changes come at what seems like an inflection point for the women’s side of U.S. Soccer. Two straight underwhelming showings at big tournaments more or less required major change, and the team finds itself phasing out veterans and bringing youngsters in for bigger roles. There is something of an age gap within the current squad as well, with only nine of the 23-player World Cup roster falling in the prime years between the ages of 24-29.

U.S. Soccer’s decision in terms of head coach likely only matters if the structures around that coach allow the program to thrive. That makes the next move at the top of the organizational chart — whether that is a new GM, or a more big-picture change in leadership structure — just as important as the more high-profile pursuit of a new manager.

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Amid USWNT rumors, England coach Wiegman has ‘no plans to leave’

Wiegman to USWNT? Not so fast

It doesn’t sound like the top name linked to the vacant U.S. women’s national team job is going to end up being the hire.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final, England head coach Sarina Wiegman downplayed any rumors linking her to the same position with the USWNT, citing her existing contract with England.

“I have a contract until 2025,” said Wiegman. “I’m really enjoying my job, and I have the impression that people still like me doing that job. I have no plans to leave.”

Wiegman’s star has been on the rise for several years now. She has been the head coach for the last two European Championship winners, leading the Netherlands to that title in 2017 before last year’s stirring victory with England.

Asked about rumors that U.S. Soccer would be calling after Vlatko Andonovski’s four-year run officially ended on Thursday, Wiegman offered a brief — but clear — response.

“I’m staying out of that,” said Wiegman. “I’ve heard [the rumors]. I’m with England, I’m really happy with England, and I have a contract until 2025.”

U.S. Soccer has not commented on a coaching search that only just got underway. In announcing Andonovski’s departure, U.S. Soccer said in a statement to media that the coming weeks would include “an in-depth analysis of the Women’s National Team program and development of a long-term strategy to ensure U.S. Soccer can continue its success on the women’s side of the game.”

That may include pursuing a new general manager, or adopting some other decision-making structure, before a coach is hired. Equalizer Soccer reported on Friday that GM Kate Markgraf will not carry on in that role beyond the summer.

In the meantime, Twila Kilgore will manage the USWNT on an interim basis. The team has scheduled two September friendlies against South Africa, as well as FIFA international windows in late October and late November/early December.

FA wants Wiegman extension

Wiegman has lost just one time in 38 matches with the Lionesses, and started her tenure off with a 30-game unbeaten run. Before that, she followed up that Euro 2017 victory with the Netherlands by taking the Dutch to the 2019 World Cup final.

On Thursday, FA CEO Mark Bullingham said that the federation was going to turn down any requests to talk to Wiegman about a new role. In fact, per Bullingham, the FA has plans to discuss extending the 53-year-old’s contract once the World Cup ends.

“We’ve always said we’d get to it after a tournament,” said Bullingham. “We’ve got a bit of time because obviously she’s contracted to 2025, and she’ll obviously want to have a decent holiday after this. But all I’ll say is we’re massive fans of her. We believe she’s happy, and we’d love to continue working with her for a long time.”

In other words, the FA knows it has the most in-demand coach in the women’s game in its employ, and would love to keep things that way for a long time yet.

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