What Was Vlatko Thinking?! Reacting to USWNT’s Disappointing Draw Against the Netherlands

After taking a day to process, The Cooligans revisit USWNT’s disappointing 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

While an overwhelming majority of the country is blaming Vlatko Andonovski for his shocking decision to not use a single substitute during the match, Christian and Alexis point out that one of their prominent friends was actually in support of the manager...

That person was Glenn Crooks, legendary college coach and current radio announcer for NYCFC.

“Some would say he discovered Carli Lloyd,” Alexis says.

Crooks believes that Vlatko shouldn’t be deterred by the outside criticism. Alexis vehemently disagrees, jokingly calling Crooks’ judgement into question.

“I’d like to remind everyone that Glenn Crooks is a fan of Arturo’s, quite possibly one of the worst pizzas,” he says.

Alexis and Christian continue to call out Vlatko’s poor decision-making throughout the match.

Christian points out that Vlatko isn’t the only person at fault either, as it’s also on the starters to get the job done.

“A lot of people aren’t happy with Alex Morgan. They’re just like, yo, maybe she’s done, maybe she doesn’t have to play all 90 (minutes), he says.

Alexis doesn’t necessarily disagree with those sentiments, as he believes that USWNT’s formation is not currently constructed to set Morgan up consistently.

The two also debate the reason for Andi Sullivan’s recent dip in form, questioning if it’s on her or Vlatko for his formation’s structure.

“The midfield shouldn’t be getting cooked like this,” Christian says.

With the group stage wrapping up in the near future, a lot of questions remain for Vlatko and USWNT.

Want to hear more from the Cooligans? Check out the full episode, which includes expanded thoughts on the Women’s World Cup!

SHOW BREAKDOWN

England: Contenders or Pretenders?

• The Women’s World Cup is here, so check in with The Cooligans every day for the best and funniest coverage of the tournament down under! England won their matchup against Denmark, but only scored one goal. There are lots of expectations of England at this Women’s World Cup, especially after winning the Euros. Are they living up to the hype?

Watch more below!

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