Instead of spending the weekend celebrating, the day was filled with utter disappointment. The United States Women’s National Team was defeated by Sweden in the round of 16 on Aug. 6. However, it was not all that surprising. In fact, the USWNT should have lost the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

This loss made it the earliest the USWNT had ever been out of a World Cup, with their lowest placing previously being third. This has also dropped them down to third on FIFA’s World Ranking for the second time ever. Prior to all of the drama, the team had won four World Cups, with two of them back to back, and that’s not even including their Olympic wins.

Many believed that they were on track to win the title once again, but when you look at their execution in the games leading up to competition, you could see they were far from World Cup champions. Their performance in games previous to and throughout the World Cup was nowhere near good, they were barely even okay. Even their athletes are speaking up about how they feel.

“They look flat,” former USWNT teammate Carly Lloyd said in an interview with Usa Today. “I’m questioning their heart.”

Many began to criticize Lloyd’s comments, but she was simply saying what needed to be said. Co-Captain Lindsey Horan responded to these comments and explained how the team was responding to the issue.

“You have no idea what’s going on behind the scenes, you have no idea every single training what we’re doing individually, collectively, etcetera,” Horan said in an interview with ESPN. 

She is not wrong, we may not be there watching them twenty-four-seven. Yet, it was made very clear that something was not meshing. And, this debate has only been amplified by the public. When their fans began to question them, the team admitted that their poor performance was because they weren’t “fully prepared.” 

Though four years seems like plenty of time to get ready, it really wasn’t. Considering they lost many veterans during this period, like Carly Lloyd and Tobin Heath, as well as their preceding coach Jill Ellis, it was no wonder that they were struggling to build their team back up again. Not to mention, their new coach, Vlatko Andonovski, was little help.

Andonovski was blamed for the team missing its usual ‘star quality’ during games, which is completely accurate. His strategy was so subsequent that he blatantly disregarded what was right in front of him. 

“Following the match against Sweden, Andonoski said he wasn’t thinking about his future with the team – only his young players, ” CNBC said. 

Although it is good to give the new players more playing time and experience, as it ensures their future is secured, this strategy is not ideal when you have the World Cup coming up.  Andonovski’s new strategy is practically the sole cause of their loss.  

The USWNT management soon stepped in, and within a moment’s notice, Andonovski officially resigned on Aug. 17. Though it was stated that the agreement was mutual, it was very clear that there was no future for him there. 

Assistant coach Twila Kilgore was placed as interim head coach for the friendlies. These games are being held on Sept. 21 and Sept. 24 where they will compete against South Africa. However, they must find a replacement for Andonovski and one with much better tactics. Hopefully, someone who understands what the USWNT is all about and fits those ideals more suitably, as the 2024 Paris Olympics are fast approaching. Here, they will get the chance to prove themselves once more, that is if they can step it up.

Overall, the USWNT is not a horrible team, they were just ill-advised and now need a fresh start. With a new, more tactical coach, they can get back on top where they belong. Check out their schedule for more updates on the USWNT and to see who they’re playing next.