Good morning! The USA will be playing in the Olympic men’s soccer tournament for the first time in 16 years this summer. It’s an achievement that should be celebrated, but it comes with a lot of uncertainty. U.S. coach Marko Mitrovic is expected to select his 18-player roster soon after Tuesday’s USA-Japan friendly in Kansas City to simply see who might show up. Clubs aren’t required to release players for what FIFA considers to be an age-group (under-23) tournament, and they can and often do say no. It gets complicated for aspiring stars on the move this summer – their new clubs (often still unknown) will also have to sign off before they get to enjoy a summer to remember in France.

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Paul Kennedy edited Soccer America for 41 years (1985-2026). He began writing for SA in 1974. He started writing for France Football in 1978 and has served on in Ballon d'Or jury since 2007.