USWNT must make changes if this World Cup is to be exception rather than new norm

MELBOURNE, Australia − Now that the U.S. women’s latest run of dominance is over, the challenge becomes how to start the next one.

The USWNT is not in a "blow it all up and start over" mode, despite having its worst finish ever at a World Cup or an Olympics. Nor can it assume all its woes can be fixed with a couple of tweaks here and there and the return of some key injured players. Developing talent, integrating new players into the team, the tactics and style of play, even the team’s calendar − all need to be areas of focus for U.S. Soccer if this four-year cycle that ended without a World Cup or Olympic title is to be a blip rather than the new norm.

"The future is bright," USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski insisted after Sunday night’s penalty loss to Sweden in the round of 16. "We’ll have lot of experience going into next big tournament. And this experience, I know even though (the World Cup) didn’t end up the way we wanted, it’s a huge experience for some of these young players.

"There’s a group of players here that will make a mark in the future."

The immediate issue, with the Paris Olympics only a year away, is who coaches this team going forward. Andonovski is well-liked by his players, and he had the best start to his tenure of any USWNT coach. But he’s also the first to coach at multiple major tournaments without winning a title, and has come under fire for his reluctance − some say inability − to change his tactics or, during games, his lineup.

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Andonovski’s contract is up at the end of the year, and he refused to say Sunday night whether he expected to be back or even if he wanted to return. U.S. Soccer was also noncommittal, saying Monday it will "conduct a review to identify areas of improvement and determine our next steps."

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But the U.S. women didn’t just make an early exit, they failed to reach the semifinals for the first time ever at a World Cup, and it’s hard to see how Andonovski survives that.

This debacle isn’t all his fault, though.

There’s no question the injuries to Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario devastated this USWNT squad. It’s also true the U.S. women were caught between generations this cycle after winning back-to-back World Cups. There’s also no denying the game’s growth is accelerating at warp speed, making the competition tougher than it’s ever been.

But the United States’ sheer size and legacy of Title IX gives the USWNT a wealth of talent no other country can match, and it has to do a better job of using it.

Yes, the USWNT has some terrific young players who will be cornerstones of this program for the foreseeable future. At just 23, and in only her second year with the national team, center back Naomi Girma was probably the Americans’ best player at this World Cup. Emily Fox was solid, and Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith showed flashes of the skills that have made them stars in the NWSL.

It was an utter failure of both the coaching staff and program officials, however, that the USWNT had no other options but to move the newly returned Julie Ertz back to a position she hadn’t played with any regularity since 2017 when Becky Sauerbrunn was ruled out with a foot injury. Ditto for Crystal Dunn still playing left back when her natural position is in the midfield.

There should be two, three and four options at every position, and there aren’t. Not even close. And easy as it is to blame Andonovski for that, it goes much deeper.

Promising prospects are being priced out of the game by the pay-to-play model that dominates the youth level, and U.S. Soccer needs to find a way around that. The NWSL isn’t at the point yet to support academy programs like many of the European women’s teams have, so the federation is going to need to get creative to ensure players aren’t falling through the cracks.

There needs to be renewed attention to U.S. Soccer’s youth teams, too. A country’s performance at the Under-20 World Cup isn’t a predictor of how the senior team will do, but alarm bells should be ringing − loudly − after the Americans finished 11^th last year and ninth in 2018.

The increase in parity is something the USWNT wanted. Worked for, even.

"I think so many people are looking for us to win games 5-0 in World Cups and we should be proud those days are not here," Crystal Dunn said. "As members of the U.S. women’s national team, we’ve always fought for the growth of this game globally and I think what you’re seeing is that."

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But the USWNT is going to have to adapt. It needs to test itself against the best teams between major tournaments, which might require the U.S. women to make more road trips like they did last fall, when they faced England and Spain in a four-day span. It was the first time they’d faced different top-10 opponents in back-to-back friendlies in 18 months.

(The USWNT used to be able to draw the top European teams to the SheBelieves Cup, but they’ve now got their own tournament in Europe at that time.)

The flaws that were exposed at this World Cup didn’t develop overnight and they won’t be fixed overnight, either. U.S. Soccer needs to take a hard look at everything − and everyone − associated with the program and make choices that will benefit the USWNT both immediately and long term.

But the team has gone through dips before and emerged stronger. It gets forgotten because of the team’s recent run of success, but the USWNT went 12 years without even reaching the World Cup final after winning its second title in 1999.

It won two Olympic gold medals during that stretch, but it’s the World Cup that’s the pinnacle.

"We’re not satisfied," Girma said Sunday night. "We’re not happy with this result and it’s something that we’re going to use to get better and go further in future tournaments."

The game has changed. If the USWNT wants to reclaim its place of prominence, it must, too.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.