New Zealand Football produced this video to announce its men's and women's squad for the Tokyo Olympics. The Olympic women’s football tournament begins on July 22 and under Fifa regulations, clubs only have to release their players from this Monday, July 12. Alex Grimm/Getty Images Football Ferns captain Ali Riley and fellow defender Abby Erceg were held back by their US clubs ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. “In the specific case of Ali Riley, it was the club’s understanding that New Zealand internationals would remain with their club teams to compete in week 8. Therefore, the decision was made to release Ali on July 10, prior to the Fifa required release date of July 12.

Source: Stuff July 11, 2021 07:01 UTC