Vanole earned his first cap with the national team in a February 5, 1986 0–0 tie with Canada. He would go on to appear a total of 18 times for the U.S. national team; however, only 14 are counted as full internationals. Vanole played 4 games with the U.S. Olympic team, including the 1988 Summer Olympics.[2] While the U.S. national team at the time doubled as the U.S. Olympic in 1988, FIFA does not count Olympic matches as full internationals. Vanole was also on the U.S. team at the 1987 Pan American Games.[3] Vanole started 4 of the 5 games played by the national team in 1986 and 1987. However, he shared duties with a string of other goalkeepers in 1988. On April 30, 1989, he made one of the biggest saves of his career: preserving a 1–0 U.S. victory against Costa Rica in a critical World Cup qualifier by saving a penalty kick in injury time.[4] He had regained the position of the top U.S. goalkeeper, but was unable to control his weight and later that year he lost his starting position to Tony Meola. The clinching moment came in a U.S. game against Italian club A. S. Roma. While the U.S. won 4–3, Vanole's poor performance convinced Gansler to give the starting job to Meola.
In January, 1990, Vanole, under contract to the United States Soccer Federation, sat out the national team's training camp with a contract dispute. However, he was selected as the backup goalkeeper to Tony Meola at the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Here he gained worldwide attention, as he sat the bench during the matches and wore a cap with a Stars & Stripes-flag.[5] Ultimately, however, he was ordered by coach Bob Gansler to stop wearing it, as Gansler felt the look was unprofessional and not in keeping with the image the U.S. team wished to present. Since Vanole did not play in this tournament, his last official cap came in 1989.
Vanole played on the Pro Beach Soccer tour for four years and was twice voted the best goalkeeper on the beach. He also played at the 1989 FIFA Futsal World Cup finals.[6]
Coaching career
Vanole spent six years as an assistant coach for goalkeepers for both the men and women's teams at UCLA; U.S. Women's Olympic and National Teams; and the Men's U-20 team. He also served as the goalkeeper coach for D.C. United of Major League Soccer (MLS) as well as the Washington Freedom of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA).
Vanole, who lived in New York City, died on January 15, 2007, in Salt Lake City of a heart attack during a family skiing vacation. He is survived by his wife, Kerry Tatlock, the NBA's senior director of global marketing partnerships, as well as by his mother, siblings, and large extended family.
