Over the last few months, Real Salt Lake midfielder Luis Gil has been an integral piece of the U.S. U-23 National Team as it prepares for the Olympic qualifying tournament later this Fall. However, when the roster was announced for the Toulon Tournament that started with a 3-1 loss to France on Wednesday morning, Gil was not included.
That raised some eyebrows among MLS and RSL fans, but Technical Director Craig Waibel explained on Tuesday that Real Salt Lake asked U.S. Soccer to leave Gil with the club for a busy stretch of games.
“He was not only invited, but he wore the captain’s armband the last couple games for that team,” Waibel said on The Bill & OC Show on ESPN 700. “From our perspective, we had a really healthy conversation with Andi Herzog and just explained Luis’ impact and where we are in the season and where we are with the roster and health and the role that Luis is playing for us. Andi needs Luis to be at his best when it comes to qualifying and into next summer. Games are what matter the most. The conversation was a fairly simple one with Andi Herzog and with U.S. Soccer.”
Gil had a say in the decision to keep him with RSL and according to Waibel, he had a clear message to the staff.
“This club’s my home. This is who I play for,” Waibel relayed that Gil told them.
“There is a time and place to go represent his country but he fully understood and supported our decision,” Waibel said. “We never want to get in the way of one of our players representing the country in the right moments. In my conversations with Andi Herzog, he was very supportive of Luis staying.”
Gil will have more opportunities to play with the U.S. U-23 National Team ahead of the Olympic qualifying tournament, which concludes in October with the semifinal and final at Rio Tinto Stadium. With RSL, he will take on the LA Galaxy on Wednesday at the StubHub Center, then meet Vancouver Whitecaps FC on the road on Saturday.
To hear Waibel’s full interview, click here.
