FourFourTwo has reported that Laura Harvey is leaving the Reign for US Soccer, to be replaced by Vlatko Andonovski. (Photo Copyright Patricia Giobetti for The Equalizer)
One day after news broke that Vlatko Andonovski was leaving FC Kansas City to take another job, Richard Farley of FourFourTwo reported that that job is head coach of Seattle Reign FC. In a congruent move, Laura Harvey will leave the Reign to take a job with U.S. Soccer, also according to Farley.
Andonovski will be replacing the coach who was his biggest rival during five seasons at FC Kansas City. Twice the clubs met in the NWSL Championship, and twice Harvey’s Reign were favorites to win. But both times it was Andonovski and FC Kansas City who raised the trophy which remains elusive for the Reign franchise. In their final meeting in September, Andonovski gave Harvey one more rough defeat, a 1-0 result at Memorial Stadium that knocked the Reign out of playoff contention ahead of the final week of the regular season.
Harvey is the winningest coach in the five seasons of NWSL with a regular season mark of 51-33-26. Her tenure in Seattle has been highlighted by back-to-back Shield seasons in 2014 and 2015 that saw the club go 29-5-10 with no losses at Memorial Stadium. The Reign lost in the NWSL Championship to FC Kansas City both years including 2014 at Starfire Sports Complex when Memorial Stadium was booked for a music festival.
Andonovski, who has personally confirmed his departure from FC Kansas City to The Equalizer, was 47-36-27 in the regular season and 4-1 in the playoffs.
Neither club has commented on their coaching position.
