Becky Sauerbrunn hopes new USWNT coach can 'get the best out of this group'

Becky Sauerbrunn said that she has had some involvement in the search for the next United States women's national team head coach.

"I have been involved a little bit, but just kind of updated periodically about where they are in the process," Sauerbrunn, the USWNT's longtime captain, said Monday. She was speaking to reporters from training camp via Zoom ahead of the squad's friendly against Colombia on Thursday, Oct. 26 at America First Field in Sandy, Utah. This camp marks Sauerbrunn's first call up to the national team since she missed this summer's World Cup with a foot injury.

"I dont know names of candidates or anything like that," Sauerbrunn continued, "but I was aware of when candidates were being flown in for interviews and that sort of thing. And knowing that we're getting close, and I think that they've got a few candidates that they are very excited about. 

"But for the most part, it's just been process and knowing where we are in the process."

The U.S. Soccer Federation and former coach Vlatko Andonovski mutually agreed to part ways after the team's hugely disappointing World Cup performance in Australia and New Zealand over the summer. The USWNT was ousted by Sweden after a dramatic penalty shootout in the round of 16, marking the program's worst finish ever in a major tournament.

U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker told a group of reporters last month that the federation is "confidently on track" to have a new coach in place by the December training camp. The 2024 Paris Olympics are eight months away and the Americans are determined to win. Andonovski, meanwhile, was recently named the new manager and sporting director of the Kansas City Current, the NWSL club announced Monday.

Sauerbrunn also said that she does not have a preference on gender or nationality when it comes to the USWNT's next coach.

"I have been around long enough that I think I've experienced all of that," Sauerbrunn said. "I'm just excited for whoever this person is to bring their sense of soccer into this environment and to get the best out of this group."

Sauerbrunn cares more about what the new coach will bring to a team that's going through a transition period as it pertains to generations of players. Legends Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz recently retired, and there's a talented group of young players coming in who are already challenging other veterans for roster spots and playing time. This summer's tournament also served as a wake-up call that the U.S. has fallen behind when it comes to tactical and technical ability. 

"I think with a new coach coming in, what they bring to our table is going to be the most important thing," Sauerbrunn said. "How they want us to play, their tactics, and then being able to apply it and teach us in a way that we can then execute it on the field. 

"What's exciting about a new coach is new ideas, new ways of playing the game. And so I'm really excited to see who this person is going to be and what they want our team to look like and how they are able to tell us how to do that."

Sauerbrunn, 38, was supposed to make her fourth consecutive World Cup roster this summer, but was cut at the last minute due to her nagging injury. While another World Cup cycle might be unlikely, she still wants to contribute in a meaningful way.

"My role on the team is the same that it's been for the last 13 years," Sauerbrunn said. "I'm competing for a spot on the roster and I'm competing for minutes on the field and that has not changed and it won't change even with a new coach coming in, who I hope will give me a chance. 

"And if I am not a starter, then I'm going to push the starters to be the best that they can be. And if I'm just not on the team, then there it is. But I'm definitely gonna keep competing and hope that things go the right way for me."

Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her on Twitter at @LakenLitman.