So Empoli don't get relegated. You'd think Libby would be keen to play in Paris.
The next Serie A starts August 17-18th, so Empoli should be okay to let him play. More so if he bypasses June's OFC Nations Cup.
But does Bazeley want Cacace for the Olympics, with LK-H and Sutton as other options?
I have a hunch Baze will want Libby, Wood (seems very keen) and Singh.
I can see Bazeley moving Bindon to RB, and obviously Libby would be at LB.
That gives him two quality players as his fullbacks, in a tourney where NZ will be doing alot of defending. Then it's either a back 4 with Surman & Hughes as his CBs, or a back 5 and LK-H slips in between Hughes & Libby.
Bazely has played Bindon at RB for the AWs, and I now think it was with one eye firmly towards the Olympics. The other options are Payne (meh for use of a valuable over age spot) and the very raw Sheridan. I'm excited by Sheridan and hope he's picked in the squad, but he's there too mostly watch on. He starts and guys like Mbappé,
Odobert (Burnley), Barcola (PSG), Koné (
Borussia Mönchengladbach) etc could just tear him apart. Same young US hotshots like Kevin Paredes (VfL Wolfsburg), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven) & Diego Luna (3 goals this season for RSL in the MLS). Plus whoever their overage players are.
Pulisic? Even Guinea will likely have a host of promising French Ligue One talent.
Sheridan has come from almost nowhere to look promising, playing a handful of ALM games. But he has very little experience of really big high stakes matches. He wasn't at last year's U20 WC in Argentina (NZ had 3 different RBs in 4 games). In hindsight a selection mistake - but picking age group teams is never a perfect science. OVH who will likely be in the 18/22 mix, is a makeshift option to play RB if say Bindon got injured.
Surman, Hughes, LK-H all got a little taste of what is coming in France, last year in Sth America. They all played Argentina in front of their passionate home fans in a white hot atmosphere (U20s lost 5-0). That's a taster to facing France at the Marseille Velodrome on 30th July.
Helps also that we played the USA at last years U20s WC (lost 4-0). No doubt a few of that US team will be in France. They won't be much weaker than the French. But yeah those 2 results from last year show the magnitude of the task. But very useful experience for likes of Herdman, Conchie, Surman, Hughes, LK-H re the Olympics
Bindon now has plenty of big match experience with Reading and the AWs (started against both Greece & Tunisia at RB). He already massively impressives at only 19, as having some proper big game cool head temperament.
So yeah I can see Bazeley going with Wood, Singh & Cacace if all available. And putting Bindon across to RB, to stiffen the defence. Trusting Surman & Hughes/LK-H to do a job. Will help Hughes/LK-H greatly to have Libby alongside them. At Tokyo, Hay used 2 of his overage spots on CBs (Reid & M Boxall), but thankfully in this window we actually have some real talented U23 CBs.
If Singh is unavailable (club future uncertain) it might be Bell or Rufer that Bazeley brings in (rather than meh Payne) to help shield his young CBs. But Sarpreet missed Tokyo as Bayern wanted him at the time, so he's likely dead keen on Paris if he can make it work. 3rd tier Hana Rostock might want him to play in France as a shop window, if they plan to sell him (1 year into a 3 year deal) and maximise a transfer fee.
Edit - A Wood and Singh combo seems crucial for NZ to get anything out of this tourney. The Woodsman is good enough to make even the world's best young CBs nervous. Can see all the teams in NZ's pool double teaming him. I remember in the QF at the last Olympics, Wood had a great tussle all game with Japan's ex EPL veteran Maya Yoshida (over age player).
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2021/07/31/world/olympics/japan-u23/new-zealand-under-23/3497456/
With Singh's vision, big Christopher will get some good chances. Sans Singh far less confident of that.
