U.S. Soccer has both fortunate and unfortunate situations when it comes to Rio 2016 Olympic men’s soccer qualifying.
Positively, it could field a roster for the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament in October that includes two World Cup players, John Brooks and DeAndre Yedlin. Olympic qualifying is strictly for the under-23 age group rosters, but Brooks and Yedlin are young enough.
Negatively, the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament and the senior national team’s 2017 Confederations Cup playoff with Mexico happen at the same time.
U.S. men’s national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann — an Olympic bronze medalist with Germany in 1988 — decided it was more important for Brooks and Yedlin to be with the senior national team than the Olympic qualifying team.