U.S. women's soccer coach Andonovski resigns after disappointing World Cup

Twila Kilgore will serve as interim coach of the U.S women's national soccer team following the resignation of coach Vlatko Andonovski.

U.S. Soccer formally announced Andonovski's resignation on Thursday. Kilgore, the first American-born woman to earn U.S. Soccer's top-level Pro License, was an assistant under Andonovski and will lead the team while a search for a permanent coach is conducted.

Andonovski's resignation comes less than two weeks after the United States was knocked out of the Women's World Cup earlier than ever before.

Kilgore will lead the team in a pair of exhibition matches against South Africa on Sept. 21 in Cincinnati and on Sept. 24 in Chicago.

The four-time tournament champions struggled throughout the World Cup. A victory over Vietnam to kick off the group stage was followed by a pair of draws against the Netherlands and Portugal — barely enough to get the team into the knockout stage.

The Americans played well in the Round of 16 against Sweden, but ultimately fell on penalties after a scoreless tie. The U.S. scored just four goals over the course of the tournament. The United States had never finished worse than third at the World Cup.

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U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker, appointed to the job in April, will lead the search for a new coach. Crocker has launched an in-depth analysis of the women's program aimed at ensuring the team remains competitive.

"It's imperative that we continue to evolve and innovate, and we are excited about the path that lies ahead," Crocker said in a statement. "We understand the challenges and have engaged with stakeholders from various corners of our sport — players, coaches, and other individuals within