NEW YORK — Soccer teams competing at the Olympics will now have more flexibility to rely on their alternates, who will now be made temporarily available in a rule change instituted by the tournament organizers.
New U.S. women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes confirmed the update at a pre-Olympics press conference at Nike’s House of Innovation in New York, hours after her France counterpart Herve Renard did the same.
“The reality with alternates is that if there is a temporary injury to a player on the roster, within the 18, that as long as we give six hours’ notice, we’re able to make a temporary change and we can then change that for a following game,” Hayes said.
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