Julian Green not playing for USA U-23s due to delay in permission from Hamburg

The United States wanted Julian Green to play with their U-23 team against Mexico on Wednesday and they asked Hamburg for permission, which they agreed to. So why isn't he on the team for the match? Hamburg gave the OK too late.

Green was with the U.S. senior team for their match against Mexico last week and U-23 manager Andrea Herzog figured it would be simple to have him stay in the country for a week and play for the youth team this week. So he and Green asked Hamburg if that would be acceptable and ...

"I was waiting for his answer when Julian left," Herzog said to ESPNFC. "He got back to me five to seven hours later and he said it was fine to have Julian stay, but it was too late."

By the time Hamburg got back to Herzog with their answer, Green was already back in Europe. At that point, they weren't going to have him fly back again.

Green's time at Hamburg has been a disaster. The manager who brought him in on loan last summer was fired early in the season and Green has spent much of the season on the bench. It's why Hamburg have no problem with him missing matches to play with the U.S. even when the friendlies aren't on a FIFA international date. Now, the club kept him from playing with the U-23s because they couldn't get an answer back in time.

There's no reason to think that Hamburg got back to them late on purpose or intended any harm. It's just really bad luck in a season filled with it for Green. But maybe there is a change coming? Hamburg just hired a new manager, Bruno Labbadia. That gives him a new chance to impress the boss and potentially earn some playing time. At least that's the optimists look, even in a season without much reason for optimism.