Following the USWNT 2-0 victory over China in Commerce City, Colorado, U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati announced that Tom Sermanni would be relieved of his head coaching duties, just over a year away from the 2015 World Cup in Canada.
“We want to thank Tom for his service over the past year and a half, but we felt that we needed to go in a different direction at this time,” Gulati said in a news release.” We will begin looking for a new coach immediately to guide our women’s national team toward qualifying for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.”
The news broke just hours after the U.S. beat China 2-0 in an international friendly in Commerce City, Colorado. It came as a shock to almost everyone involved, including Sermanni.
“I was surprised," Sermanni said. "I didn't see it coming, to be honest. Generally, you always have an intuitive feel about these kind of scenarios and I didn't. Perhaps I should have, but I didn’t.”
Immediate reaction spurred rumors that the players had something to do with the firing but it was quickly put to rest by U.S. all time leading goal scorer Abby Wombach.
After a 16-0-4 start under Sermanni, the USWNT struggled in Portugal at the Algarve Cup finishing 7th. Though this may have raised red flags, according to President Gulati, the firing wasn’t performance based but based on "underlying issues," and the team "needed to go in a different direction."
Former U.S. great and ESPN analyst Judy Foudy said Sermanni’s dismissal was purely “style-driven."
“This was more about the way in which he led,” Foudy added. “Coaching the U.S. women's team requires a benevolent dictator, and Sermanni was more of a laissez-faire leader. Right or wrong, it just didn't seem to fit.”
The U.S. starts World Cup qualifying in October and are 15 months away from the World Cup. Interim head coach Jill Ellis will handle the duties for now, but Gulati knows he must have a coach in place sooner rather than later. Gulati said he would like to have a coach in place “certain by the summertime schedule…if not sooner.” The USWNT will have a short preparation time for the World Cup qualifiers, but it isn’t something they haven’t already dealt with.
“Some of us have been through this situation, obviously, with the 2007 World Cup with Pia coming,” midfielder Carli Lloyd said, refering to Greg Ryan being let go in 2007. “She had a really short time to prepare us for the Olympics. We had maybe eight months with her, so we’ve got a little bit longer now.”
Whoever comes in will have their work cut out for them, as they surely know the U.S. Women’s soccer program has high expectations. They also will inherit a loaded team who has plenty of experience. Even with a new coach, there is no reason to be concerned with where the USWNT is headed…for now at least.
