Kate Markgraf stepping down as GM of U.S. women’s national team

SYDNEY, Australia — One day after U.S. women’s soccer team manager Vlatko Andonovski’s resignation became official, news broke that the woman who hired him is leaving, too.

General manager Kate Markgraf will depart the job at the end of the month when her contract is up, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced. Markgraf had been in her role since 2019 and hired Andonovski in October of that year. She was the first person hired to the role.

“It has been an incredible honor to work with the players, coaches and staff at U.S. Soccer on the mission of keeping our program at the top of the women’s game,” Markgraf said in a statement. “I am proud of the foundation we have built, and even more proud of the character and commitment demonstrated by our players as they represent the United States on and off the field. I look forward to supporting all of our programs and have every confidence that we will maintain our standards of excellence moving forward.”

Equalizer Soccer reported that Markgraf had made her decision to leave before the World Cup started, that her contract was up at the end of this month regardless, and that “she and U.S. Soccer discussed a contract extension at some point prior to the World Cup but Markgraf declined to sign one.”

A source with knowledge of the matter told The Inquirer that new sporting director Matt Crocker was on U.S. Soccer’s side of those discussions. But now that Markgraf is going, Crocker has an opportunity to start a true refresh of the program.

» READ MORE: Vlatko Andonovski resigns as U.S. women’s national team manager

“Kate has been an instrumental part of [the] women’s national team both on and off the field for many years, and we’re very thankful for the tireless work she has given to the USWNT and all our youth national teams,” Crocker said in a statement. “We wish her all the best in her future endeavors and look forward to building on the foundation she helped establish over the past several years.”

As general manager, Markgraf oversaw technical and administrative staffs for all teams as well as day-to-day operations, among other duties. New U.S. Soccer Federation sporting director Matt Crocker eliminated the men’s general manager role, replacing it with a vice president of sporting (a role currently held by former Union defender Oguchi Onyewu) after coming aboard in May.

It would not be surprising if the women’s GM job also is eliminated, though that’s just a guess for now. What’s certain is that Crocker is in the midst of a review of the U.S. women’s program’s overall structure.

“There’s been a lot of great work that has been done by the sporting staff on the women’s side of the game at U.S. Soccer, which means we are starting from a position of strength,” Crocker said. “We’re looking forward to building on what has been created already, and ensuring we can continue to improve by setting a strategic plan will set the foundation for our women’s national team to achieve greater success in the years to come.”

Speculation began to mount about Markgraf’s future when words from her were absent from the chorus of thanks Andonovski’s resignation elicited. Andonovski resigned in the wake of the USWNT’s ouster in the round of 16 at the women’s World Cup, the earliest the Americans had ever been eliminated from the tournament.

» READ MORE: The USWNT’s long era of success is over, but a new one could be on the horizon

A Hall of Fame ex-player who won the 1999 World Cup and 2004 and ‘08 Olympics, Markgraf oversaw not just the star-studded senior U.S. women’s team, but also U.S. youth squads. They’ve also been subpar recently, and many people have noticed.

Last year, the under-20 team finished 11th at its World Cup, and the under-17 team finished sixth. The under-20s haven’t won their World Cup since 2012, and the under-17s never have. But the senior squad now has a crop of big-time prospects in their early 20s who could lead a renaissance if U.S. Soccer gets the next hires right.

England manager Sarina Wiegman acknowledged late Friday that she has heard the clamor in the U.S. demanding she be considered to succeed Andonovski, but she plans to stay with England for the duration of her contract through 2025.

“I want to stay with England,” Wiegman told Sky News as part of a series of interviews with English outlets at the team’s base camp ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final vs. Spain (6 a.m. ET, Fox29, Telemundo 62, Peacock).

“I’m very happy with my job,” Wiegman said. “I’m happy how the FA [English soccer’s governing body] treats me. And I’m getting ready for the Spain game.”

Wiegman told the BBC: “I’m with England, I’m really happy with England, and I have a contract until 2025. … I’m staying out of it [the speculation]. I’ve heard it.”

Whether that stops U.S. Soccer from pursuing her anyway remains to be seen.

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