AUCKLAND : The United States kick off their World Cup campaign against Vietnam on Saturday in a tournament that will prove the ultimate test of head coach Vlatko Andonovski's tenure.
The Americans enjoyed tremendous success under previous manager Jill Ellis, who led the team to their third and fourth titles in 2015 and 2019.
She may prove a tough act to follow. No country has ever won three straight World Cups but U.S. fans will accept nothing less from the world's top-ranked side. "When I took this job four years ago, it wasn't unknown what the expectations are," said Andonovski, who accepted the post months after the U.S.
beat the Netherlands in the 2019 final. "I was very well aware of it and I was aware of the pressure of the job and I embraced it and it helped me.