The Top 10 Managers in WWC '23
The Women's World Cup could hinge on these people's decisions under pressure
If we learned one thing from almost 100 years of World Cups, as well as Chris Evan’s recent book, there’s no one type of manager that can win a World Cup. Instead, a team must have the right manager for the right group of players at the right time.
As we quickly approach World Cup ‘23 (Australia/New Zealand version), it’s time to take a hard look at the managers. Expanding to 32 teams means we see new faces and some managers have a new chance to show their skills on the world stage. For today’s post, I want to rank the ten best coming into the World Cup. These managers - from different countries and with different expectations - are the ones we soccer fans expect to have an impact on their matches. In some cases, these are the ones who have the highest expectations placed on them.
And for some, their placement will be controversial among certain fanbases. So sound off in the comments.
Desiree Ellis: This may be a controversial take considering how low the expectations are around South Africa. But Ellis has been with Banyana Banyana since the beginning. She was a player on their first team in 1993, served as an assistant coach, and led the team in the 2019 World Cup. South Africa was one of the worst teams in the 2019 World Cup and her team will likely not advance from the group stage in this one. Still, she has the history and experience to help this team surprise.
Peter Gerhardsson: He earns his spot simply because he has 1,700 records - the vinyl kind. Just kidding. In all seriousness, he has helped Sweden compete in the last World Cup and Olympics, and recently had his contract renewed. Like Ellis, he has experience playing for the national team but unlike Ellis also coached the men’s side for Sweden.
Nicolas Delepine: His reputation is enhanced simply because he led Haiti to the World Cup. Now here, he has the uphill task of getting something from a very tough group. Setting aside Delepine’s resume which is stacked with experience, the fact that he led this team through qualifying despite needing to rely on young talent, tumult in the federation (to put it lightly), and natural disasters is impressive. His style is fluid so his side will entertain.
Jorge Vilda: This is a controversial selection. On paper Vilda is a powerhouse. He built his resume on constructing Spain’s women’s set-up, managing the youth clubs to success before taking over the senior side and slowly building the talent pool. Spain’s buzz is a testament to him and his team’s work. And yet…. the rift. The fact that allegedly he peeved off some of his most important players, some of whom are staying home, may hurt Spain’s chances most of all.
Bev Priestman: Despite being maybe the youngest person on this list, the former futsal player wins plaudits for winning a gold medal in Tokyo. Serving on Phil Neville’s staff also gave her coaching education at the highest level. The fact that Canada is a contender because of her and not in spite of her is high praise.
Vlatko Andonovski: On one hand, you need to be a respected manager to be hired for the U.S. women. On the other, there are A LOT of questions in my circles about whether he can manage this mix of star players.
Alen Stajcic: His record with Australia is excellent but his firing was at the time confusing. Despite this, he not only has the Philippines qualified but avoided the qualification playoffs. His players and the fans seem to like him, which as many teams in this World Cup can say is not a given, and he has his tiny nation playing above their past results. He may not be able to make a run like he did with the Matildas in Brazil, but opponents need to be wary of this side.
Andries Jonker: The Dutch hired maybe the best manager they could for this tournament. Jonker has learned from van Gaal and indirectly from Wenger, as well as having varied coaching experience. He lacks the World Cup experience of some of his peers but his overall coaching credentials are solid. He has public support from the players after the wasted past few years. He is one of the wild card managers in this tournament - he has he background and tactics to manage his team through a tough draw.
Pia Sundhage: Brazil’s manager has maybe the most impressive resume of any of the managers. The former USWNT manager has to manage a team of proven veterans and promising young stars, while teaching a system of play designed to keep her squad fresh. Plenty of critics have pointed out her flaws as a manager in previous World Cups, but it is hard to pick out managers more prepared for this tournament than her.
Sarina Wiegman: Where to begin? (A) She led England to a Euro trophy. (B) She did the same for her home country in 2017. (C) She’s coached at a name men’s club (that’s how highly her soccer acumen is regarded). And so much more. Despite injuries to England, she is a reason the Three Lionesses are a favorite to dethrone the Yanks.