AUCKLAND, New Zealand — In his 3 1/2 years as U.S. women’s national soccer team coach, Vlatko Andonovski has lost five of 62 matches and sported 23- and 21-game unbeaten runs. He is riding a 10-game winning streak.

His squad breezed through Olympic and World Cup qualifying last year and remains atop the FIFA rankings. He has integrated young players and, from outward appearances, has created a strong bond with his roster.

Oh, one other thing: If the United States doesn’t at least earn a place in the World Cup final Aug. 20 in Sydney, he will probably get fired.

Perfection is not required when in charge of the most decorated women’s team in soccer history. But competing for trophies is. And after losing in the Olympic semifinals two years ago – in a tournament in which his team never hit its stride – Andonovski needs a strong showing at this World Cup, for both his sake and the program’s.

Never before has the U.S. team competed in back-to-back major competitions (Olympics and World Cup) without making a final. Only once has it gone consecutive tournaments without finishing first (2000 Olympic runner-up and 2003 World Cup third place).

“When I got the job, I knew what I’m getting myself into, getting the best team in the world,” the 46-year-old Andonovski said. “We just won two World Cups, but [the team] understands the challenge we have in front of us. They embrace them and love them. I mean, they don’t look at it as, ‘Oh my gosh, what are we going to do now?’ Now is the time to shine.”

The team is on a quest for a third consecutive World Cup title and a record five titles overall.

“The U.S. has had a target on the back since the team has been together 30 years ago,” Andonovski said, “but it seems like our team strives when the target gets bigger.”

The target is not a dartboard but a helicopter landing pad. Under those circumstances, Andonovski has had to navigate mounting pressure while preparing the team for a month-long tournament featuring multiple contenders capable of knocking off the United States.

“I’m glad this is not the first major tournament for me,” Andonovski said, citing lessons learned at the Olympics.

Needing a fresher, hungrier squad to augment a team that looked tired in 2021, Andonovski integrated a set of newcomers. The aim was to have them ready by this summer. While several returning stars remain in the mix, 14 are new to the World Cup, including 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson, 21-year-old Trinity Rodman and 22-year-old Sophia Smith.

“The first thing is, we want to win the World Cup, but obviously there are other things that come along with that – preparing the team for the next one, refreshing the team with the 14 players that we believe are going to be ready not just to win this World Cup, but to win the (2024) Olympics and the next World Cup, and so on,” Andonovski said.

Andonovski’s performance at the World Cup will determine whether he stays on the job. His $400,000 contract is up this year. The U.S. Soccer Federation will need to decide shortly after the tournament whether to extend his deal through the 2024 Paris Olympics or beyond. The Americans have won a record four gold medals but none since 2012.

On a team loaded with world-renowned talent, Andonovski prefers operating in the shadows. In the buildup to the World Cup, he turned down requests for extensive interviews and let the players enjoy the spotlight.

Players describe him as highly detailed.

“He has a photographic memory,” defender Kelley O’Hara said. “He can recall plays and moments on the field, like how things were set up, with such precision and exactness. That translates into the way he coaches. He’s very precise in what he asks for. And I love that sort of specificity.”

Midfielder Kristie Mewis called him “meticulous.”

Defender Naomi Girma added, “He’s very tactical and can break down the game really well.”

Andonovski is also known for his frankness.

“Being direct with the players is being honest with them,” he said. “And nobody takes it personally because they believe we’re doing that to help them out, get better.”

There is also a personable side.

“You might be talking to him for an hour or two, and he can go in any direction,” defender Emily Sonnett said, smiling. “He’d be talking about his first year in the NWSL, then he’d be talking about what he had for breakfast. He loves telling stories. That is how he connects, so it’s actually really nice to have downtime and have that connection with him.”

Until 2000, Andonovski had never seen women play soccer firsthand. He is from Skopje, North Macedonia, in the former Yugoslavia, where soccer was a men’s game. His father, brother, uncles and cousins played or coached.

Andonovski was six years into a pro career in North Macedonia when one of those soccer-playing friends, Dino Delevski, persuaded him to join him in the United States to play indoor soccer.

Andonovski, who didn’t speak English at the time, figured he would stay a year or so. He’s been stateside ever since.

He started a family, made a home in greater Kansas City, earned degrees from Park University and Ohio University, received U.S. citizenship and became one of the NWSL’s most successful coaches.

On the day of his U.S. introductory news conference, family gathered at his mother’s house in Skopje and watched the live stream together. “One of my friends’ wife translated,” he said.

Andonovski began his tenure with a 22-0-1 record before running into trouble at the Olympics, starting with a 3-0 defeat to Sweden in the group opener. The Americans regrouped to make the semifinals, but lost to Canada, 1-0.

Another rough patch came last fall with consecutive defeats in friendlies against World Cup contenders England, Spain and Germany. It was the longest U.S. skid in 29 years. Since then, they’ve won 10 in a row and conceded two goals.

Ultimately, Andonovski will be judged on the next month of matches.

“When I took this job four years ago, it wasn’t unknown what the expectations are,” he said recently. “I was very well aware of it and I was aware of the pressure of the job. I embraced it, and it helped me. It helped me in the preparation because the pressure turned into excitement now.”