Tom Sermanni was fired by US Soccer after just over a year on the job in a surprising move announced Sunday night.
Sermanni’s 15 months as head coach of the United States women’s national team will be remembered as a tumultuous time. Sure, there were plenty of whispers of discord, but there had to be an adjustment period. The connected folks I’ve reached out to were surprised by the news, if not “shocked.”
The firing comes mere hours after Sermanni’s women beat China 2-0 in the first of two international friendlies against the Asian side, completing his tenure with a record of 18W-4D-2L.
U.S. Soccer has announced that Tom Sermanni has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team.
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@ussoccer_wnt) April 7, 2014
The statements from US Soccer president Sunil Gulati and Sermanni:
“We want to thank Tom for his service over the past year and half, but we felt that we needed to go in a different direction at this time. 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.” — Sunil Gulati, U.S. Soccer president
“I’m disappointed that things didn’t work out, but I’d like to thank U.S. Soccer for the opportunity to have coached this team and also the staff and players for all their hard work.” — Sermanni
Bears a scent of the players running the ship, that’s for sure.
The Washington Post’s Steve Goff says the US has named Jill Ellis the interim coach for Thursday’s match in San Diego. Ellis was the interim boss when Pia Sundhage stepped down, and boasts a 5W-2D-0L record that includes three wins over China.
Under Sermanni, the States saw its 43-match unbeaten run end en route to a very disappointing seventh-place finish at the Algarve Cup. They lost back-to-back games for the first time since 2001 before saving a little face with a win over North Korea.
Sermanni offered “no direction, no vision, nothing,” one source says. Players, USSF concerned about World Cup. #uswnt
— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) April 7, 2014
Players felt they weren’t learning and advancing under Sermanni. Unclear whether they went to Gulati for change. #uswnt
— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) April 7, 2014
How changed is the list of potential candidates discussed the last time the job was open? Paul Riley, Randy Waldrum and Tony DiCicco will see their names in the news along Aaran Lines and Cindy Parlow Cone.
And how about Ellis? She’s been the USSF Development Director since 2010 and boasts a college head coaching record of 248W-14D-63L at UCLA and Illinois before coaching the US U-20 and U-21.
Regardless, surprise is reverberating around US Soccer:
For what it’s worth, yet to speak with a player (non-USWNT) or coach not totally stunned by this news. Hours after a game, too.
— Jeff Kassouf (@JeffKassouf) April 7, 2014
Hearing Sermanni had no idea. Told after win tonight. No, hey, we are having some issues…. #USWNT
— Julie Foudy (@JulieFoudy) April 7, 2014
