Interestingly enough, Vlatko may not have to make the hard decisions for picking the Olympic roster. I have been reading where it could be cancelled altogether. Seems Japan has also seen an increase of more cases as well. Even read there was some poll conducted in Japan asking should the Olympics be held and the response was 80% No.
I've read all this as well. I also read that Japan will not postpone the Olympics again. That if not this year the Summer Olympics won't happen till 2024, which would be a shame for athletes in so many sports. I hope the games will take place, but I am highly skeptical.
My granddaughters (12 and 14) live in Japan with their family and we talk via Skype almost four times a week. They are saying that tensions about the virus are the highest they have seen since the early periods last year. The also say that among their friends the feeling is running about 60-40 in favor of canceling the Olympics altogether. The belie is that no matter what precautions are taken holing the Olympics without a near 100% vaccination rate in the country and among he Olympic people and absolute proof that the vaccinations work. Right not the Japanese people are highly skeptical about the effectiveness of the current vaccine crop. The Japanese will get vaccinated as they are generally more trusting of authority than most cultures but if their confidence in the effectiveness of the vaccine is really as low as I am told they may not trust that the virus is under control until the infection rate drops to zero both for home people and for people coming into the country. The Olympic people in Japan and the actual Olympic committees world wide may want this to go on but I doubt they can put it on unless the people of Japan also want it. Note the "poll" of my granddaughter's friends and acquaintances is of lower accuracy than even the flawed formal pooling system but it does show that there is a segment of the Japanese people that do not want the Olympics held in their country unless there is close to 100% surety that the infection rate will not be increased because of it. Remember that there is still and always has been a pretty large segment of the Japanese people that really distrust foreigners. The Japanese government is generally quite responsive to public opinion and it may be that the Japanese people will make the decision to not hold the Olympics and that the Japanese government will listen to their people.
This article was in the New York Times on January 15th. It says that according to a recent survey by a Japanese broadcaster nearly 80 percent of respondents felt that the Summer Olympics should be postponed again or canceled. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/15/sports/olympics/tokyo-olympics.html?searchResultPosition=1
This paragraph says enough to just about make me believe that the games will be canceled as there is no way to really protect such large numbers of people without vaccinations being nearly complete.
And even if the Games happen in a reduced capacity, I'm guessing part of the reduction would be the elimination of the Football Tournaments and any other competitions that involve travel outside of a fixed venue or the Olympic Village.
The Japanese government has privately concluded that the Tokyo Olympics will have to be cancelled because of the coronavirus, and the focus is now on securing the Games for the city in the next available year, 2032 https://t.co/bsuB9wMt30— The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes) January 21, 2021 Well, looks like we don't have to worry anymore.
Given the mutation rate and the fact that "some" of the mutations seem to be resistant at least to some extent to the current crop of vaccines I kind of wonder if even 2032 is a "safe" date for Japan to try again. It kind of looks like we may have to figure ways to conduct our future lives with a relatively deadly virus that we cannot control. The mutation rate may well exceed our ability to get ahead and stay ahead of this virus. I know I sound pessimistic but it is well to remember how pessimistic I sounded this time last year. I was against the last match of the SBC being played because of the virus and although the event did not prove to be a spreader of the virus it well could have been but I doubt it makes much difference one way or the other. I believe the Olympics can be held but totally without spectators and all events would have to be set without travel and nobody but athletes and coaches and officials allowed inside the various bubbles. Also I think all the "ceremonies" would have to be dropped. That is we would only have the events and those would have to be behind closed doors. Maybe TV coverage can be expanded to fill the various gaps but that seems impractical.
So I wonder what Vlatko will do now? How will this now affect Rapinoe and Lloyd for the upcoming game? I do think Macario was probably going to replace Lloyd for the 2nd half. He planned to have Sophie Smith replacing Rapinoe for the 2nd half, and probably have Macario come in for Lloyd, but was forced to have Macario come in instead for Rapinoe. Don't think Lloyd was mean't to play the whole game. Flash! Wouldn't be surprised to see. Macario start for Lloyd in the Friday game.
For the upcoming game? The game tomorrow? That's not a formal announcement of cancellation; neither are polls. He will continue to prepare for the Olympics just like he was until the Olympics are formally cancelled. EDIT to add: By the way, Vlatko has already said (prior to the first game) that the first game against Colombia was the game where he was going to play his best XI. He wants to experiment a bit more in the second game.
I don't know if "experiment" necessarily means younger. In the press conference a little bit ago, he said Krieger looks likely to play in this game.
Yep. Until there is a formal announcement everyone must proceed exactly like nothing has changed. It is very hard to stay focused in situations like this but that is exactly what everyone must do. Everybody must proceed just like the Olympics are going ahead as they were set to be as of last week. We may still have an Olympics exactly as planed or the may be major changes or there may be no Olympics. My bet is on no Olympics but I am a private citizen and I can afford to be as pessimistic or as optimistic as I like but there are already a LOT of decisions for the coaches to make and they must proceed exactly like nothing has changed until something actually changes. Back when I was in the service I had situations that could be equated to this but involved many fewer people. My training was to always get the task in front of me done before looking to do something more or different and, if the situation changed then adapt and meet the new challenge. That training saved my life several times and I have since approached everything with the same attitude. The Covid situation is not as immediate as what I faced but there are a LOT more people involved and the people that it effects need to be safe and focus on their task until they are forced to focus on a new task and this means that for the coaches they must keep doing whatever they should do to make their part of the Olympics a success, until they cannot do that any longer.
Likely won’t happen but in my opinion it comes down to Sonnet vs Krieger and Williams vs Lloyd. Macario makes the team and takes the backup forward roll from Lloyd. (2) Naeher Harris (6) Dahlkemper Sauerbrunn O’Hara Dunn Sonnet Davidson (4) Ertz Horan Lavelle Mewis (6) Morgan Heath Press Rapinoe Williams Macario
My searching abilities are limited by age and therefore a failing brain but I searched for Olympic Soccer rules and found this: https://resources.fifa.com/image/up...-tournaments.pdf?cloudid=vpmqxgj1z19zqwirsz3t That document contains: I thought that Olympic rules only allowed 18 player but this seems to contradict what I understood. Now I am confused and seeking clarification. I plead "Old brain syndrome."
Was talking to some of my Friends at NBC. Production team are looking to find refunds on air and hotels for over 300 people as I type
You're looking at the player list regulations for preliminary competition (qualifying). Jump ahead to page 50 where it mentions player lists for the final competition, and they're still limited to 18.
Thank you. I see that is where they also state the the goalkeeper requirement is dropped down to two, which is what I was originally looking for when I came upon the PDF. Again, thank you.
Time to update with Heath likely out and from the friendly results This is what I think is most likely, not what I would do Locks (11) FW: Press, MF/FW: Macario MF: S. Mewis, Lavelle, Ertz, Horan DF: Dunn, Sauerbrunn, Dahlkemper, O'Hara GK: Naeher Likely (4) FW: Morgan*, Lloyd, Rapinoe DF: Davidson *Downgraded to bubble if she doesn't play well in She Believes Bubble (GK + 2) GK: tossup--I'm glad Vlatko is looking at younger keepers DF: Purce, Krieger or Sonnet MF: K. Mewis FW: Williams Missed due to injury Heath Interestingly, Morgan may be under pressure if she doesn't preform in February. If I am taking Lloyd, Press, Pinoe and Macario and don't have Heath, I really need another wide player and a 5th MF. If I take Morgan and Williams, that means I am only taking 4 midfielders (and relying on cover from my forwards) or I'm only taking 5 defenders and relying on Ertz to give me cover in DF. I'm glad this isn't my job--the WWC roster is a lot easier and the stakes are less if you make a mistake with the 23rd player, as they are not that likely to play anyways.
Thanks, PortiereNuovo, for posting this update. Seems reasonable to me. Obviously, if there will indeed be a Summer Olympics, what happens in the She Believes games will likely mean a lot for various U.S. players fighting for a roster spot. Although there's been lots of talk here of dumping one or more of the older players, my guess--a guess that could prove quite wrong--is that Vlatko is leaning toward a last hurrah for these stars. That we'll see a rather different U.S. squad for the 2023 World Cup. So it'll be especially awful for the older players if the Tokyo Games never happen.
You may be right, but I hope not. I do not think we can use the Olympics as a last hurrah for players when the Olys have been delayed a year. I would understand doing it, but it is risky in terms of the World Cup. We had a lot of change from the 2015 World Cup to the 2016 Olympics (whether or not Ellis should get credit for the change, and even though she brought Rapinoe). Making changes that early may have been a significant contributor to the well-oiled machine we were able to bring to the 2019 World Cup. I wonder what the discussions about this have been at USSF headquarters.
I didn't say that we should follow the last hurrah approach. It's simply my guess that that's where Vlatko is heading. Of course, if there's no Olympics then there will be no 2021 last hurrah for some or all of our older stars. I view it as certain that our 2023 World Cup team will look quite different than a possible 2021 last hurrah Olympic roster. Partly I view it this way. Suppose the Tokyo games actually happen. If Vlatko goes with the last hurrah approach and the U.S. doesn't win gold, he will be blasted for sticking with the older stars. But if Vlatko dumps a few of them, goes with younger, unproven players, and the U.S. doesn't win gold, then I believe he'll be blasted far more. HOW COULD YOU NOT KEEP PLAYERS X, Y, AND Z ON THE TEAM??? I will repeat: all this is simply my guessing. I have zero inside information. I am far less knowledgeable about this sport that many others who post here. Just my sense of things, which may prove entirely wrong.
I agree. I think Vlatko would be a very brave coach indeed to omit Morgan, Rapinoe, Lloyd, and Heath from the Olympic team -- although Heath can possibly be omitted on the basis of fitness. Assuming that they show at least moderate competence in the lead in games they'll be on the team. And from what I saw in the Colombia games Rapinoe and Lloyd deserve to be on the team. We'll see how they look in the tougher competition of the upcoming games.
I wouldn't take Morgan or Lloyd based on current fitness and lack of versatility. Morgan has barely played and looked pretty poor with Tottenham, and now missed a critical camp because of careless behavior over the holidays resulting in her getting COVID. If she wanted to get in game shape, she should have stayed in England like the others. Lloyd sounds like she's in great shape but I didn't think she did much vs. Colombia and also hasn't played much. Press, Williams, Macario can all play center forward (along with multiple other positions) and are fully fit. Rapinoe has a very unique skillset so she's harder to omit. Heath also has a unique skillset and she should be good to go fitnesswise in a couple months it sounds like. She's been great at Man Utd.