When he joined FC Kansas City in 2013 as the club’s head coach, Vlatko Andonovski had established some local notoriety but was a virtual unknown name in the U.S. soccer scene. Then just 37 years old, Andonovski had moved up the ranks as coach of the Kansas City Comets, an indoor soccer team, before stepping into a brand new role on a brand new team in a brand new league.
It was a risk for both club and coach — and one that paid off immensely. Andonovski went on to build a squad from the ground up that won back-to-back championships in 2014 and 2015 and posted a record of 47 wins, 37 losses, and 25 draws.