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USA enjoying 'underdogs tag' as they name 12-player squad for Olympics
By Josh Raisey
United States Sevens men’s head coach Mike Friday has named his 12-player squad for the Olympic Games later this month.
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The squad will see six players make their Olympic debuts- Naima Fuala’au, Malacchi Esdale, Aaron Cummings, Orrin Bizer, Marcus Tupuola, and Lucas Lacamp.
Perry Baker and Madison Hughes, meanwhile, will compete in their third Olympics, where they will hope to improve on their group stage exit in Rio and their quarter-final exit in Tokyo.
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Pita Vi and Adam Channel have also been included in the squad as travelling reserves.
The USA have been handed a devilish pool in Paris alongside HSBC SVNS champions and hosts France, reigning Olympic champions Fiji and Uruguay.
The men’s sevens competition will run from July 24 to 27 at the Stade de France.
“It has been a rollercoaster 12 months for the squad since we started the build-up to the RAN qualifier this time last year,” Friday said after naming his squad.
“We have had to deal with a lot on and off the pitch. Throughout the good and tough times, the squad showed their resilience and determination to stay in the battles in what has been an unforgiving SVNS Series and the format we had to play under.
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“We have shown a level of consistency in our pool play and it is our ability to show the composure to match our ability in those moments in knock-out games that we need to focus on coming into the Olympics.
“The togetherness and competition within the group continued right up to selection and they have all pushed one another. The balance and attacking threats in the squad is very exciting and the challenge to minimize errors when in possession is the focus together with a philosophy of ‘running our blood to water’ when we defend to give us the opportunities to physically ‘blow up’ breakdowns.
“We are under no illusion how tough a group we are with the reigning Olympic champions, series champions, and hosts France, but as a pack we enjoy the underdogs tag and are confident on any day that we are able to compete with any team in the world as both these opposition teams felt the last time we met in Singapore. Uruguay are also a dogged team that we met in Madrid and asserted our possession game on.
“Preparation continues to be intense in Chula Vista with the non-rostered players, known as ‘Animal Patrol,’ selflessly working hard to physically push the squad against each of the opposition we will face, whilst also emotionally challenging them.
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“It’s certainly lively and the mutual love and respect in some of the sessions as they go at it is a pleasure to be a part of. Never is it more pertinent than right now that ‘the strength of the pack is the Dawg and the strength of the Dawg is the pack.’”
USA squad
1. Aaron Cummings
2. Maka Unufe
3. Orrin Bizer
4. Matai Leuta
5. Marcus Tupuola
6. Kevon Williams (C)
7. Naima Fuala’au
8. Malacchi Esdale
9. Stephen Tomasin
10. Madison Hughes
11. Perry Baker
12. Lucas Lacamp
13. Pita Vi (travelling reserve)
14. Adam Channel (travelling reserve)
