https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/japan-govt-has-privately-concluded-tokyo-olympics-will-have-to-be-cancelled-because-of-coronavirus-the-times-citing-senior-ruling-coalition-member-20210122-p56w3i.html

Reuters is reporting the Japanese government has privately concluded the 2021 Tokyo Olympics will have to be cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The news agency quoted The Times newspaper citing a senior ruling coalition member.

The Japanese government's focus was now on securing the games for Tokyo in the next available year, 2032, the newspaper said.

Inevitable

Feel sorry for Olyroos boys, geez we haven't qualified since 2008 and this happens.

Hopefully FIFA could organise a u21 tournament later in the year as its very harsh on all players that have qualified for their respective countries. 

Noooooooo.

Such a shame :(

FFS 😓 Send the Olyroos to Copa instead, if not cancelled too

Honestly cant see COPA going ahead. And I'd be surprised if the Euros go ahead too.

Not a bad idea.

Sounds like it's still on according to the AOC presser. 

Yep it would be super sad for this reason 😢

Sounds like the report is wrong

https://twitter.com/tarrantjack/status/1352445172433309697?s=21

Japanese Prime Minister has come out and said in Parliament that it will go ahead as planned. 

i read somewhere (sorry dont recall where) that uefa are looking at changing it to a one city or one country deal. it would seem the only practical way forward, if there is any way forward

The biggest shame is that it's not a world cup year, would be fantastic if Qatar could not hold it.

Good call.
That would be priceless to see

If the Copa does go ahead it clashes with the new dates for World Cup qualifiers, so I'm not sure what the Socceroos are going to do.

https://www.reuters.com/article/BigStory12/idUSKBN29Q34X

Still some time until it it planned to occur, but given the outcry from tennis players in quarantine, it’s going to be very interesting to see how this works logistically. 

Good riddance tbh. It could be a blessing in disguise. Talk about an over-bloated circus

The event needs to go back to basics and gut at least a third of the events

Arent you keen on rock climbing and surfing at the Japan Olympics? 🤣🤣🤣 Wait till the "Sonic the Hedgehog" event and the "tik tok dance off" are added to the next one.. hajaha

How could the double loss of both the Olympics and having the Socceroos at the Copa be a good thing? 

Yeah wtf. The Copa America is a senior tournament and we may never get a chance to play in it again, why on earth would we send the U-23's? 

Isn't that what the inclusion of Breakdancing in 2024 was meant to cover? . 

(Edit) Only meant If Olyroos cant play in Olympics but Copa still goes ahead it’s going to clash with WCQS, so maybe Olyroos could play at Copa instead? Trust me I want the Olympics, Copa and WCQs to all go ahead with our best squads possible. All depends on damn covid though

I find the lack of ambition of those writing off our participation in the Copa very disheartening.

Just had another look at the qualifiers for the first time in a while and I am now even more sure that any talk of not enthusiastically taking up the generous offer of sending the Socceroos to the Copa is heartbreakingly defeatist. 

We are at 12 points compared to Kuwait and Jordan with 10 each, plus we have a game in hand; the Socceroos have four games left to play while the rest only have three.

The March WCQs are Kuwait at home and Nepal away. Wins in both of those will ensure qualification, unless Jordan wins their away match against Kuwait in March.

Even if Jordan wins their match, we'll only need one more point from the June qualifiers to seal it, which are home games against Taiwan and Jordan, so we can afford to let the Olyroos play those games while the Socceroos go to the Copa.

If the Olyroos (or a Socceroos B team) can't get one point at home from Taiwan then we should just fold as a footballing nation.

I get that every point in the WCQs is critical but I am really disappointed in the lack of excitement in our chance to show what we can do in the Copa America, maybe even make some history. We may never get this honour again, and yet some people see it as an inconvenience. I bet if the Socceroos were offered a spot in the Euros, Eurovision style, people would change their tune.

I think unless qualification is mathematically certain we have to keep our strongest squad for the WCQ. Sure Taiwan at home sounds like a sure thing even for a B team, but imagine the outcry if we lost and failed to qualify for the World Cup all because we took up an invitation to be a guest participant in another continent's comp.

Given quarantine restrictions in our states the March WCQ against Kuwait at home may well be a home based Socceroo squad. 

Good point. Let's not bring up how Pim did in that Asian Cup qualifier against Kuwait with a local squad in 2009 lol

I see your point, but I think it's reasonably likely that we'll get six points in March and Kuwait beats or draws with Jordan, and then it's mathematically all over with three months to go before the Copa, and the FFA will need to find another excuse to bail on it.

In fact, quarantine will almost certainly still be in place in July, so the two home WCQs in July will probably also have to be played by a local squad anyway, while our overseas based Socceroos go to the Copa.

There, sorted.

If the FFA had the WCQs played by local squads there would be no justification whatsoever to pull out of the Copa while our overseas players who would be available to play in it sit at home on the couch.

We could even temporarily hire a South American coach who knows the lay of the land to take care of the squad at the Copa while Arnie focuses on the WCQs.