Kansas City’s loss is Chicago’s gain
By Lesley Ryder
It’s a brand new day for the Chicago Stars.
Vlatko Andonovski, a sudden free agent out of the KC Current, has signed on to the Chicago Stars as the club’s Chief of Soccer. Andonovski is a key signing for the club as they build their way out of the league’s basement, and towards a stable future.
When asked by ESPN’s Jeff Kassouf what drew him to the Stars as teams clamored to earn his favor, Andonovski said "I get excited with projects, and Chicago will very much be a project.”
The new soccer chief is embracing the mountain of work ahead. “You cannot be successful in this business in in competitive soccer unless you love challenges,” said Andonovski in the club’s introductory presser. “That's what I love about this project.
The newest Star will have his work cut out for him. Last weekend the Stars became the first team to be eliminated from the playoff race in what’s been a long season of suffering. Poor results have ballooned their goal differential to a historically wide margin, a leaky defense has allowed a worst-ever 54 goals against, and the head coach’s seat can’t keep an occupant for longer than a few months at a time.
So where does Vlatko Andonovski begin?
“One of the first things that we're going to focus on is finding the right coach, a coach that knows how to win in NWSL, a coach that knows the league, [and] the U.S. soccer market,” said Andonovski. “And hopefully is very close close to how I see the game and how I believe that the the game should be played.”
Such a hire will be a brand-new addition to the Stars in the post-2023 sale era. The Stars have lacked NWSL experience in the GM suite, and in the match day dugout, and they have literally paid for it. Former general manager Richard Feuz took to the transfer market first with a frugal mind, and then flipping to pay outrageous sums for underperforming players.
Vlatko Andonovski’s experience will be helpful in what is sure to be a busy winter of signings, on and off the field. Club President Karen Leetzow told members of the media that Andonovski will have every tool and resource available to build up his squad. It’s welcome news, as the new chief comes in with ambitious plans to bring Chicago back to the playoffs by the end of next season.
It wouldn’t be the first time Andonovski hauled a team out of the league’s basement. Vlatko Andonovski joined the Kansas City Current on the heels of a second-to-last place finish in 2023. In his first offseason with the club, he recruited future club leaders Temwa Chawinga, Claire Hutton, and Bia Zaneratto. When the season began, the Current blasted out of the gates to a 15-game unbeaten streak, and even more talent poured in. Defenders Alana Cook and Kayla Sharples bolstered a leaky back line, and the club finished the season in 4th place, high enough to host a playoff match.
Andonovski’s signing allows for a moment of respite in the front office. “As you can imagine, the turmoil on the sporting side was a distraction from the things that we need to be doing on the front office side, which is driving revenue and selling tickets so that we can create confidence in the organization,” said club president Karen Leetzow to reporters. “I have an incredible partner leading on the sporting side. I don't have to worry about building stability or myself trying to attract talent to the club-that's something Vlatko knows how to do in his sleep.”
At a time when axes are falling across the league, the Stars won’t be alone in seeking strong talent on the market.
“I feel confident in the work that we're going to do. Now, when it comes down to is there a specific player or type of a player, some player that we need to bring?” Andonovski said of recruitment. “Those some of those decisions will be will be made together with the head coach. I have I have my own ideas that I will present to the coach, but the coach, together with with the staff, will have to make the final decision on the players that they would like to work with.”
Vlatko Andonovski’s signing alone can provide a big boost for the club to attract talent. “It's a statement moment that we now have to amplify and take advantage of,” said Leetzow. “I think as Vlatko builds out his organization and builds out his roster, I think you're going to see other exciting things happen and come from this.”
Reunions abound
Vlatko Andonovski’s signing serves as a reunion of sorts. His Kansas City Current colleagues Garga Caserta and Kate Cohen signed on with the Stars last month on an interim basis. “They're probably one of the best—not in the states, in the world—in the areas that they operate,” Andonovski praised the coaches. “They hold everything at high standards… there are a lot of people out there, a lot of experts, a lot of good people. But Garga and Kate are some of the best that have ever been around.”
Andonovski is also eager to collaborate with players and staff from his time at the USWNT. Beyond his former USA match day starters Alyssa Naeher, and Mal Swanson, multiple staffers at the Stars spent time at US Soccer when the organization was headquartered in Chicago. That connection, Andonovski believes, will help the club raise their standards to be amongst the elite in the league. “As hard as it may look, I think it's going to be a little bit easier because I am surrounded with a lot of people that that worked for a long time in in that environment.”
Of course, Andonovski is also glad to be on the same side as some players that have given him a run for his money in the past. “I've been in this league for so many years that many of them have scored goals against me” said Andonovski. One of those players was Sam Staab. “I remember the goal she scored in 90th minute against me two years ago, that made me really mad” he joked, recalling the late equalizer. “Now actually I'm happy about because it just shows the quality player that she is.”
After two long seasons of suffering, Vlatko Andonovski’s hire brings hope to a club that previously had none. While there are still six matches left for the Stars, his focus is already turned to the future. “We have a staff in place. We have great players that will that will focus on these six games,” said Andonovski. “Everything that I will do and every decision that I personally make or remake is going to be geared towards making the team better starting January 1.”
Club President Karen Leetzow is handing the wallet and the keys to the new soccer chief. All that’s left to do now is let the man cook.