Could Hong Kong be the city where the USA secures Olympic qualification?

Mathematically, no. To clinch, the Eagles will need to be in a situation where the number of remaining tournaments multiplied by 21 has to be less than the difference in standings points between the USA and the 5th-place team.

Whew, that's a lot of math. All that means is that England (5th) at 80 points is 33 behind 1st-place USA. Even if England finishes last, and the USA wins in Hong Kong, the margin between 1st and 5th will only be 54, and a clincher needs more than 63.

Still, everyone acknowledges that the USA team, seven points ahead of New Zealand (sitting 2nd) and 33 points ahead of England are in excellent position to win the World Series and an even better position to secure a top-four spot, and therefore automatic qualification to the 2020 Olympics.

The Eagles have accomplished this despite being without several high-profile players, such as Perry Baker, Danny Barrett, and Maka Unufe. 

"We've had a good year so far and we're looking to keep it going," captain Madison Hughes told AFP. "We're confident. There's a lot of good teams here, especially a lot of the top ones that are coming for us. We're excited for that and we believe in ourselves and we're going to give it everything we've got. 

"It’s been a good run with four cup finals to kick off the year, getting the win in Vegas and making the semi-final in Vancouver and that’s the key for us in targeting the top four. Here we are sitting in first place. There is a little bit of dreaming but we’re taking it one tournament at a time. We have got a tough pool and we are not taking anything for granted but we are excited and ready to get going here in Hong Kong."

Coach Mike Friday said his squad were still finding their feet after vaulting ahead of the traditional rugby powerhouses. 

"We're working hard, keeping our heads down and trying to be the best we can," he told reporters Wednesday. "We'll take every opportunity in every game where it comes and see where it takes us. But we're in a decent place at the moment, we're confident. We've got a few injury issues like everybody else but the next the next man in is stepping up for us."

Several players have filled in for the injured, with stars such as Carlin Isles and Ben Pinkelman picking up key slack, while Stephen Tomasin has continued to get better and better each tournament. Then the likes of Kevon Williams, Matai Leuta, and Brett Thompson have all make key contributions.

Getting to the Cup Quarterfinals is key for the rest of the season, and previous strong performances can help get the USA better draws. In Hong Kong, the USA faces England, Wales, and Spain—most definitely a winnable pool. Their rivals all have tougher draws. Pool C features New Zealand, Fiji, and Australia.

All of them are thinking about the Olympic berth.

"Obviously an Olympic year is huge for everybody," said Fiji coach Gareth Baber, who teams sits a comfortable 3rd. "I've certainly noticed an increasing intensity with the teams really going for it at the top. We’ve also seen a lot of upsets this year and that shows the quality is growing with increased funding across the teams."

The Hong Kong 7s kicks of at 7PM ET Thursday (Friday morning Hong Kong time).

USA Roster for Hong Kong 7s:

1. Carlin Isles

2. Ben Pinkelman

3. Joe Schroeder

4. Matai Leuta

5. Brett Thompson

6. Kevon Williams

7. Folau Niua

8. Maceo Brown

9. Stephen Tomasin

10. Madison Hughes

11. Marcus Tupuola

12. Martin Iosefo

13. Ben Broselle.  

Naima Fualaau, Cody Melphy, and Ben Broselle traveled with the team and will play for Tiger Rugby in the Hong Kong 10s. Ben Broselle will also serve as the USA's injury reserve.