Vlatko Andonovski is still the coach of the U.S. women’s national team, but potential successors are already being asked about replacing him.
That’s not a huge surprise: Andonovski is widely expected to be replaced imminently, after the USWNT crashed out of the World Cup at the last 16 to seal the team’s worst finish ever at the tournament.
One of the prime candidates to take over will be Laura Harvey, whom Andonovski narrowly beat out for the job in 2019. Harvey has extensive experience with U.S. Soccer, having previously served as a USWNT assistant and as a U-23 and U-20 head coach.
Harvey is now in charge at OL Reign, a team she insisted she is singularly focused on for the time being.
“I’ve lived it before, I lived this four years ago. I’m very mindful that this is my priority – this job is my priority,” she said in a press conference. “I love it here, that’s no secret. I’ve committed to the future of this club.”
Last month, Harvey signed a contract extension with OL Reign through 2025.
“My focus right now is the Reign,” she added. “We’re in the middle of a season. We’ve put ourselves in a really good position in both competitions that we’re in. And right now my focus is solely on the Reign.
“I actually give our team and players credit if my name is anywhere near anything, because that just shows the performances that our group’s been putting in.”
Still, Harvey wouldn’t deny the appeal of the USWNT position, which she called the top job in women’s soccer worldwide.
“I enjoyed my time at U.S. Soccer. That’s no doubt,” she said. “The U.S. women’s national team is probably the top job in the world, if not a top-three job in the world. That’s just reality. And if my name is anywhere near it, then that’s an honor.
“But first and foremost, my priority is the Reign. It is going to be hard to block it out, there’s no doubt about that, but I’ve lived it before. So I’ve got a little bit of experience with it.”
[lawrence-related id=24549,24417,24951]