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Is USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski on the hot seat?

Brad Smith/ ISI Photos

The United States women’s national team will not be playing for gold after losing to Canada 1-0 in the Olympic semifinal on Monday. Canada eked past the USWNT on a VAR-reviewed penalty, defeating the U.S. for the first time in 20 years.

The national team’s lackluster semifinal performance against Canada was indicative of their play all tournament.

“I feel like we haven’t had our joy,” Megan Rapinoe said after the loss.

Attention now turns to coach Vlatko Andonovski, who came into the tournament unbeaten during his year and half as the USWNT head coach. A pre-tournament New York Times profile even referred to him as “The Coach Who Can’t Lose.” But in his first real test at the helm of the USWNT, Andonovski’s squad drastically underperformed, leaving the new coach exposed to some heavy (and legitimate) criticism.

Here are the three questions Andonovski will have to answer after the Tokyo Olympics.

1. Was the roster too old? 

Andonovski’s decision-making first faced scrutiny after the final Tokyo roster was announced in June. The Olympic squad relied heavily on an aging veteran core, with 17 of the 18 players a part of the 2019 World Cup-winning team. The average age of the team was 30 years old. Detractors immediately questioned Andonovski’s commitment to experience and his reluctance to include new talent, especially in a tournament as physically grueling as the Olympics.

Lynn Williams, who was initially named to the Tokyo roster as an alternate, only joined the full team after the International Olympic Committee approved the expansion of soccer rosters to 22 players. The North Carolina Courage striker proved to be one of the only bright spots in the USWNT’s attack, notching a goal and an assist in the quarterfinal against the Netherlands. Had the Olympic organizers not granted roster expansion, Williams wouldn’t have even taken the field in Tokyo.

Williams started her second game in a row against Canada, an implicit admission of error in Andonovski’s initial scouting.

2.  Why was the USWNT’s subbing such a mess?

Andonovski’s rotation of players also drew consistent criticism throughout the tournament. The coach sometimes opted for wholesale line changes, swapping out the front three of Alex Morgan, Tobin Heath and Lynn Williams for Carli Lloyd, Christen Press and Megan Rapinoe in the 60th minute of Monday’s semifinal, even as Williams was starting to create chances. The hockey-like line changes up top also left a struggling midfield sub-less until the 80th minute, when Sam Mewis finally checked into the game against Canada.

Andonovski’s rotation cycles added to questions of chemistry, attacking consistency and continuity, as the USWNT never seemed to find its rhythm.

Many observers, us included, were clamoring for Press and Williams to play up top together. The two wingers are key to the USWNT’s high press and ability to stretch opponents’ backlines. But Williams and Press never took the pitch together, leaving an opportunity to overload Canada’s defense unexploited.

3. What happened to the offensive innovation?

With Andonovski’s hire came the promise of new and innovative offensive tactics. There was a lot of talk leading up to the Olympics about a sophisticated offensive approach, a deviation from the USWNT’s more direct style of play. That promise, however, never came to fruition. The United States was shut out of three games in their five Olympic contests, and the team’s attack never fully clicked.

Part of the issue stemmed from a disjointed midfield that failed to facilitate offensive chances. Against Canada, the USWNT’s first shot on goal didn’t come until the 65th minute.

NWSL Analitica pointed to another shortcoming: The USWNT relied too heavily on its flanks. Most of the team’s chances came from frantic crosses into the box that didn’t connect with any runners.

Andonovski will surely have to address the breakdown of the team’s offense and the lack of strong build-up play through the midfield after the tournament.

Whether or not Andonovski remains in the hot seat may be determined by the team’s performance in the upcoming bronze-medal match. A loss could add to the mounting pressure on the USWNT coach, while a win may buy him some time.

The USWNT will face Australia on Thursday for a spot on the Olympic podium.

Orlando Pride Slump Extends as Star Barbra Banda Lands on Season Ends Injury List

Kansas City Current defender Hailie Mace challenges Orlando Pride striker Barbra Banda during a 2025 NWSL match.
Orlando Pride striker Barbra Banda suffered a season-ending adductor tear against Kansas City on August 16th. (Jamie Squire/NWSL via Getty Images)

The Orlando Pride have taken a turn, with the reigning NWSL champs skidding to No. 4 in the NWSL standings after losing decorated forward Barbra Banda to a season-ending hip adductor injury last week.

According to a Saturday release, the 2025 Ballon d'Or nominee suffered a "full thickness avulsion of her right adductor longus tendon" in the 14th minute of the team's August 16th draw with the No. 1 Kansas City Current.

The Zambian international's absence loomed large over the Pride's loss to No. 10 Angel City on Thursday, when Orlando fell 1-0 to LA behind an 86th-minute Alyssa Thompson dagger — raising their NWSL winless streak to five straight matches.

"Barbra has been instrumental to our success and losing a player of her caliber is heartbreaking for the entire organization," said Orlando Pride sporting director Haley Carter.

After joining Orlando in 2024, Banda made an immediate impact for the Pride, scoring 25 times in her 41 total appearances across all league competitions and earning 2024 NWSL Championship MVP honors behind her title-clinching game-winning goal.

The reigning Shield-winners saw another departure on Monday, as 32-year-old two-time World Cup winner Morgan Gautrat announced that she was retiring from the NWSL with plans to play out the rest of the 2025 season on loan to WSL2 side Newcastle United.

The Pride's downturn could be temporary, however, with Orlando officially signing Tigres UANL star Lizbeth Ovalle on a world record $1.5 million transfer fee late last week.

Washington Spirit Knock Bay FC Out of Oracle Park as NWSL Sets New Attendance Record

Washington Spirit defenders Hal Hershfelt and Tara McKeown celebrate a goal against Bay FC during a 2025 NWSL match.
The Washington Spirit defeated Bay FC in front of a record-breaking NWSL crowd on Saturday. (Karen Hickey/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

The NWSL lit up the baseball diamond on Saturday, claiming a new attendance record as the No. 2 Washington Spirit defeated No. 12 Bay FC 3-2 in MLB's Oracle Park in San Francisco.

The 40,091-strong crowd not only shattered the prior NWSL record, when 35,038 fans watched Bay beat Chicago inside Wrigley Field in June 2024, Saturday also set a new attendance mark across all US professional women's sports leagues.

"The players deserve it. They've worked so hard and this league has come such a long way," Bay FC head coach Albertin Montoya said following the historic loss. "When you get football like that, I think every single person that watched that game can leave and say 'Hey, I'd do this again,' because it was entertaining. It was good quality football all around."

The victory marked the Spirit's sixth road win this season, as Washington climbs the table behind midfielder Croix Bethune's first goal of 2025 — and forward Trinity Rodman's first start since April.

"The atmosphere was fantastic," Spirit manager Adrián González said. "The setup, the fans, and having the opportunity to have an experience like this, I think, is just something unique."

Washington now sits 12 points behind league-leaders Kansas City, while just six points separate the Spirit from No. 7 Racing Louisville in an increasingly congested top of the NWSL standings.

Expansion Team Golden State Valkyries Shoot for WNBA Playoffs History

Golden State Valkyries guards Kaila Charles and Veronica Burton celebrate a 2025 WNBA road win over the Dallas Wings.
The Golden State Valkyries currently sit in seventh in the 2025 WNBA standings. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

The No. 7 Golden State Valkyries refuse to give away their shot, as the first-year expansion side split their weekend results to maintain positioning above the WNBA postseason cutoff line on a 19-18 overall 2025 record.

With seven regular-season games left, the Valkyries are courting history, vying to become the first-ever expansion team to reach the playoffs in their debut year.

Golden State guard Veronica Burton is leading the Valks' charge, registering 25 points and 13 assists against the already-eliminated No. 13 Dallas Wings in Sunday's 91-80 victory to further her squad's postseason dreams.

Despite losing players to injury, the Valkyries remain on track for playoff contention, performing just well enough to fend off fellow mid-table strivers like the No. 9 Los Angeles Sparks and No. 8 Indiana Fever from ascending the WNBA standings.

"This is nothing new for us," Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase said of her team's consistency. "What I like about our players is we are always continuing to try to help each other."

How to watch the next Golden State Valkyries games

Golden State have earned a rest, with the Valkyries currently sitting out the week before hosting the No. 10 Washington Mystics at 8:30 PM ET on Saturday and the No. 8 Indiana Fever at the same time on Sunday.

Saturday's clash will air live on WNBA League Pass, while NBA TV will carry the Valkyries' Sunday matchup.

Report: NWSL Commissioner Threatens Fine Over Kansas City Current Heat Delay

Kansas City Current fans attempt to stay cool during a heat delay at an August 2025 NWSL match.
An August 16th NWSL match between the No. 1 Kansas City Current and No. 2 Orlando Pride was delayed more than three hours due to excessive heat. (Kylie Graham/Imagn Images)

The NWSL has reportedly threatened to fine the No. 1 Kansas City Current for delaying their August 16th kick-off against the No. 2 Orlando Pride due to unsafe field-level heat ahead of the planned CBS broadcast.

The Athletic wrote late last week that the NWSL could fine Kansas City for "breaking protocols by asking for a heat check after the league decided to go forward with the game."

"Internally, we flagged that a 3 PM kickoff in Kansas City in August was probably going to have a problem with the extreme heat issues that we're seeing this summer," NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA) executive director Meghann Burke said.

"While forecasts guide planning, we primarily rely on real-time, on-site weather data to make informed decisions in accordance with our inclement weather policies and protocols," the NWSL responded in a statement.

The league signed a four-year, $240 million US media rights deal with CBS, ESPN, Prime Video, and ION in 2023, with this month's Kansas City vs. Orlando showdown marking the seventh of 11 regular-season CBS matches on deck for 2025.

The heat delay caused the network to shift game-time coverage to its streaming app while CBS switched back to regional programming.

While both teams' medical and technical staffs cited dangerous playing conditions, the NWSL prioritized broadcast commitments, adding to rising concerns about player safety amid the league's rapid growth.

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