Threading the Roster Selection Needle
Given some of the realities of international soccer, establishing that 20-man roster – which includes 17 field players and three goalkeepers – isn’t as straightforward as it seems. It’s somewhat like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, with a few twists. There are pieces spread across the United States, Europe and Mexico; however, you may not be able to utilize all the ones you want. Some won’t be provided to you, while others will be part of a different puzzle altogether.
That’s because unlike senior national teams which have access to any players, they want during a FIFA international window, clubs are not required to release players for youth competitions such as Olympic Qualifying. Often times clubs will honor the window for youth players, and there is one scheduled from March 23-31. In fact, the U.S. Men’s National Team will play two times in that period, against 14th-ranked Netherlands and Wales.
Further complicating the issue is the fact that this Olympic Qualifying tournament begins prior to the opening of the March window (March 20) and concludes after it closes (April 1). Therefore, some clubs may be less willing to release players who might miss important games.
Lastly, there is an age restriction. Men’s Soccer is the only sport in the Olympics which requires participants to be under the age of 23 – there are three exceptions for the final competition, but during the qualifying phase all players must meet the age requirement.
On the plus side, the men’s pool of talent is loaded with players who fit the criteria. Last month’s January Camp roster included 15 players alone who were age-eligible, and that was just the MLS-based group.
For all these reasons, Kreis, Stewart, McBride and others have spent the last year and a half building and developing relationships with clubs in the United States and abroad with the goal of finding ways to have as much access to players as possible for this critical tournament.
Meantime, Berhalter has already said that established senior team regulars who likely can gain club releases – players like Reggie Cannon and Jackson Yueill -- will be available to Kreis for selection.
