Putting together a roster for a national-team tournament is full of innumerable moving parts. There's the form and health of the players, as well as the willingness of clubs to have their performers take part. Timing is also an issue.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup would at first glance appear to be immune from the whims of club managers given that it is a confederation championship. But there are the rules, and then there is reality, which explains why U.S. men's national team manager Gregg Berhalter leaned heavily into his collection of domestic players in putting together his roster for the 2021 edition of the tournament.