The USA Boys U18 sevens team has received a berth to the Youth Olympic Games this fall thanks to the successful qualification of Canada's boys field hockey squad.

That seems to be a non sequitur but, in fact, its all connected. An individual country has to select a hierarchy of field sports it wants to compete in for both boys and girls. The USA selected boys rugby as one of its highest priorities, while Canada selected boys field hockey above boys rugby.

As it turned out, Canada's sevens team won the Youth Olympics qualifier over the USA earlier this month in Las Vegas, but the Canada boys field hockey squad just won qualification, as well. Since the Youth Olympic Games (to be held this October in Buenos Aires, Argentina) is a limited-size event, Canada can take only one of those teams, and it will be field hockey.

So with the Canadian sevens team not going, the next North America team goes instead and that's the USA.

"It's a bittersweet feeling to qualify in a manner different than you originally intended," USA boys team head coach JD Stephenson said. "We really feel for the Canadian boy's rugby team and staff who are well deserving of the bid. We will ensure that we represent North America to the fullest degree and show what our age-grade national teams can do on the world's stage."

The USA team did play well but its side was not as settled going into the qualifiers and didn't have as much time together as Canada. That had an effect on the Americans' performance.

"Despite limited assembly time the team was a couple of moments and conversions away in Las Vegas to a historic win over a Canadian team that had been together for the better part of a year," said Alex Magleby, USA Rugby's general manager for national teams. "As we approach Buenos Aires, every day that we can provide the athletes time together will be key, not only to performances to be proud of at the Youth Olympic Games but to help set up this group for future World Series and Olympic successes."

In 2014, the USA sent a girls team (which finished fourth) and a boys team (which finished fifth) to the Youth Olympic Games. Rio Olympian Richelle Stephens and current national team players Tess Feury and Hanco Germishuys played on those teams in Nanjing, China.

The 2018 Youth Olympic Games will be held October 6-18 in Buenos Aires.