Sundhage To Step Down As U.S. WNT Coach

The U.S. women’s soccer team’s post-Olympic victory tour also will be a goodbye tour.

Pia Sundhage is stepping down as U.S. coach and will take over Sweden’s team after leading the Americans to back-to-back gold medals and their first World Cup final in 12 years. The announcement of her departure came just a few hours before the U.S. women began their “victory tour” with an 8-0 victory against Costa Rica in Rochester, NY, the hometown of star Abby Wambach.

“It’s really a difficult decision to make as you can imagine being around those guys. They make me look good,” Sundhage said, pointing to her players following the game.

Ultimately, she said, the decision came down to her heart in pursuing what she considers her dream job.

The Swedish soccer association said early Sunday that Sundhage had signed a four-year contract that starts Dec. 1, a day after her contract with U.S. Soccer expires.

“I have long dreamed of becoming Sweden coach and now I am so happy,” Sundhage said.

The Americans are 88-6-10 since Sundhage took over in 2007, and made the final of all three major tournaments during her tenure. Their 2-1 victory over Japan in last month’s Olympic final was a rematch of the 2011 World Cup final and avenged the most painful loss in team history.

U.S. Soccer said it will begin searching for a new coach immediately, but has no timetable for naming a successor. There is no major tournament until the next World Cup in 2015.

Federation President Sunil Gulati said Sundhage will coach the next two games of the victory tour before leaving her job. The U.S. plays a pair of exhibitions against Australia on Sept. 16 in Carson, Calif., and Sept. 19 in Commerce City, Colo. The U.S. then plays two-time World Cup champion Germany on Oct. 20 in Bridgeview, Ill., and Oct. 23 in East Hartford, Conn.