US advances to Gold Cup quarterfinals with win over Saudi Arabia on goal from Chris Richards

The win and the 1-1 draw between Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti in Group D's other match Thursday in Houston, clinched a knockout berth for the Americans, who improved to 42 wins, 1 loss, and 5 draws in group play. The US has won its group in 16 of 17 Gold Cups, and closes Group D play on Sunday against Haiti at Arlington, Texas.
Advertisement
US coach Mauricio Pochettino stuck with the same lineup that produced a
The match saw few real chances on goal by either team. The Americans had just one shot in the first half. Richards's speed to track back to cover for Alex Freeman's mistake and block a shot kept Saudi Arabia from a 1-0 lead.
ALL-OUT EFFORT FROM CHRIS RICHARDS! 🚫
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT)
Matt Freese got his second consecutive start in goal for the US and third in four matches as he appears to have displaced Matt Turner.
Advertisement
The Gold Cup represents the last competitive test for the Americans ahead of the 2026 World Cup. As co-host with Mexico and Canada, the US is an automatic qualifier for the World Cup.
The Americans limped into the Gold Cup on a four-match losing streak that included a 4-0 rout by Switzerland in their final tune-up. And with many of the top players either sitting out this tournament for personal reasons, injuries, or playing in the Club World Cup, Pochettino selected a roster full of relatively untested and unproven players.
Missing the tournament for the US are regulars Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Gio Reyna, Antonee Robinson, Folarin Balogun, and Sergiño Dest.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Yahoo

17 minutes ago

• Yahoo

Chivu's Tactical Changes At Inter Milan Promising – But Physical Condition Still Sorely Lacking At FIFA Club World Cup

Chivu's Tactical Changes At Inter Milan Promising – But Physical Condition Still Sorely Lacking At FIFA Club World Cup Tactical changes from Cristian Chivu at Inter Milan are promising, but physical condition is still sorely lacking at the Club World Cup. This according to today's print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews. Advertisement Cristian Chivu took charge of his first match as Inter Milan coach against Monterrey this week. The Nerazzurri's Club World Cup group stage opener saw them line up in a very familiar 3-5-2 shape. However, that does not mean that Chivu did not make some tweaks to the team. In particular, the midfield looked to be working a bit differently than it had under Simone Inzaghi. Chivu looked to provide more support to the forward line. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and then Nicola Zalewski, played very attacking roles in the central trio. Moreover, Inter experimented with 3-4-1-2 and 3-4-2-1 shapes in the second half. Chivu Tactical Changes Promising At Inter – But Physical Condition Still Lackin LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 11: Head coach Cristian Chivu of FC Internazionale Milano after disembarking at Los Angeles International Airport for FIFA Club World Cup 2025 on June 11, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by) As the Gazzetta note, however, it was still clear to see that Inter Milan are struggling to put the long season behind them. Advertisement The Nerazzurri played their sixtieth match of the campaign against Monterrey. And that was evident in a lot of the players' legs. This is a problem for Chivu particularly considering his apparent desire to see the team press higher. The Romanian tactician is relying more on the team being aggressive when they lose the ball. One midfielder at least steps higher than the two-man united behind him. And there is more man-to-man marking. That type of defensive intensity requires a lot of energy and athleticism. Something in somewhat short supply for Inter at the moment. Meanwhile, on set pieces there are also mixed signs. Advertisement The opening goal by Monterrey exposed Inter's lack of familiarity with the zonal marking that Chivu wants them to transition to. But on the other hand, the Lautaro Martinez's equalizer for the Nerazzurri showed that Cristian Chivu may have a few new tricks up his sleeve in terms of free kick routines.

Yahoo

29 minutes ago

• Yahoo

Night highlights: Seattle-Atletico and PSG knocked out 🎥

During the night, two matches valid for Group B of the Club World Cup took place: first on the field were Seattle and Atletico Madrid, followed by PSG and Botafogo. Here's how the standings now look in their respective groups. 💥 Barrios scores twice, Atletico bounce back! After the heavy defeat in their opener against PSG, Atlético Madrid lift their heads. In Seattle, the Colchoneros beat the Sounders 3-1, a team that appeared clearly inferior. With this victory, Simeone's team stays in the running for the round of 16 and will play everything against Botafogo. The match immediately showed a clear technical and tactical gap. Atlético dominated thanks to an inspired Barrios and a Seattle side lacking reference points, especially in defense. Musovski was neutralized, while the Spaniards made good use of the wings and controlled the pace with authority. Advertisement In the second half, Witsel scored to make it 2-0 before Rusnak's temporary 1-2, but Barrios quickly restored the gap. Seattle tried to react, but without creating real danger. Now the Spaniards prepare for the direct clash with Botafogo, while the Sounders face the formidable PSG. 😱 PSG KO! Botafogo through to the round of 16 In the match between the European and South American champions, the upset comes from Botafogo. Surprisingly, the Brazilians beat PSG 1-0 thanks to a goal by Igor Jesus in the 36th minute. A victory without spectacle but built on organization, ruthlessness, and defensive spirit. Luis Enrique changed several players after the big win over Atletico, but the rotation didn't pay off. PSG kept possession, but struggled to be truly dangerous, with Kvaratskhelia isolated and Ramos absent. Botafogo, organized and aggressive, limited the opponent's playmakers and struck on the counterattack. Advertisement In the second half, the Spanish coach tried to fix things by bringing on the starters, but the play remained confused. The Brazilians held firm and managed their lead until the end. Now PSG will have to beat Seattle to avoid a sensational elimination in the group stage. 📊 GROUP B STANDINGS 1. Botafogo 6 points 2. PSG 3 points 3. Atletico 3 points 4. Seattle 0 points PSG goes through if they win against Seattle and Botafogo wins or draws against Atlético; Atlético wins by a maximum of 2 goals difference. PSG would only be eliminated if Atlético wins by 3+ goals and PSG wins by a small margin or draws. Advertisement This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here. 📸 Buda Mendes - 2025 Getty Images

Yahoo

an hour ago

• Yahoo

From heat to unrest: how five major Club World Cup storylines are shaping up

The Club World Cup is into the second round of games in the group stage, with matches across the United States showing off all that was hotly anticipated about this newly expanded tournament, as well as a few concerns. Here's a breakdown of five major storylines we were keeping track of before the games, and where we stand. Attendances Your view on how well-attended these games have been depends heavily on your perspective. Empty seats have been visible, sometimes in great numbers, at nearly every game (none of which have been sellouts). That said, the raw attendance numbers have not been half-bad, considering that many kick-off times have fallen at noon or 3pm during work days. Advertisement There have been 20 games at the Club World Cup so far. The average attendance has been 35,525. The median is about the same. About 730,000 tickets have been sold or distributed for these matches. All of these are reasonably solid figures. On the other hand, the stadiums have, on average, been about 55% full. The median percentage of capacity used – a figure that gives less weight to outliers such as the 3,142 who attended Mamelodi Sundowns v Ulsan in Orlando – is 45%. With a few exceptions, the tournament is being playing in massive NFL stadiums, and that means a lot of empty seats. The environments, though, have largely been very good. South American fans in particular have brought it, with Brazilians in New York and Argentinians in Miami creating noisy and invested atmospheres that seem right at home at a tournament with the World Cup name. Thanks to the massiveness of these stadiums, though, the optics are not always the best. Heat and weather It's been hot at times, but the tournament has also been lucky so far in that many cities, especially New York, have been experiencing cooler-than-normal temperatures over the past week. The most notable exception was Paris Saint-Germain v Atlético Madrid at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, where the heat combined with crowd control issues and a lack of water contributed to what the Guardian was told was a 'dangerous' environment for fans. It wasn't comfortable for the players either. Advertisement 'Playing in this heat is impossible,' Atlético's Marcos Llorente said after. 'The heat is terrible. My toes hurt, even my toenails … We are adapting to the heat of playing at these hours … no one in Europe is used to it.' The next several days will see more of these situations. A brutal heatwave is set to hit much of the eastern United States starting on Friday, covering many of the stadiums where the remaining games will be played. Evening kick-offs will be hot but theoretically bearable once the sun is down. The problematic games will be those that kick off in the afternoon local time – there are 14 of those left in the group stage, including six that start at noon, when the heat will probably be at its worst in the direct sunlight. And that's without even getting into weather delays. Already, there have been three weather-related delays – mostly for lightning as thunderstorms have gathered amid the humid weather. There is very little Fifa can do about those, of course – but it's a trend worth keeping an eye on. There is a chance, of course, the delays could disrupt the simultaneous kick-offs in the group finales. Political unrest The opening matches of this tournament were awash with reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) and/or Customs and Border Protection officers would be present at games and looking to continue their public raids, which have been met with counterprotests across the country. That has yet to happen. Advertisement Make no mistake, security is high at these games, as they are at any major sporting event in the United States. But there haven't been any reported attempts at mass arrests as there have been in other places around the country. That is not to say politics, world events and the tournament haven't overlapped. Mehdi Taremi, Inter's Iran striker, has been forced to miss the tournament after being stuck in Tehran after Israel's attacks on the city. And this week Fifa's president, Gianni Infantino, and a delegation from Juventus (including the US internationals Weston McKennie and Tim Weah) stood in the Oval Office as Trump answered questions about a potential war with Iran and awkwardly asked the players if women could play for Juventus (a reference to the right-wing talking point about trans women in women's sports). Club performances On the field, the story of the tournament so far has been the performance of South American clubs. Teams representing Conmebol have not lost, the only undefeated confederation remaining after one matchday in every group. They've achieved some pretty big results along the way – including Botafogo's 1-0 win over the reigning Champions League winners PSG on Thursday night, and River Plate's 2-2 draw with Benfica. Advertisement Asian and Oceanian teams are having far less fun. The confederations' five teams have yet to win, with Auckland City suffering a 10-0 demolition by Bayern Munich. The lone bright spot for Asian clubs was Al-Hilal's 1-1 draw with Real Madrid – a game in which the Saudi Pro League side looked every bit Madrid's equals in Xabi Alonso's first game in charge. Generally speaking, and in line with past editions of the Club World Cup, the so-called 'smaller' teams are the ones bringing real life to this party, while most Uefa teams are waiting for their first big challenge. The final group games and knockouts should be plenty of fun. Standout players It's a bit early to say anyone is making a case for the Golden Ball given most teams have played one game, but a few players have stood out. Advertisement One, unsurprisingly, is Lionel Messi. The Inter Miami superstar is a player Fifa bent over backwards to get into the tournament, awarding Miami a 'host nation' slot after they failed to qualify through other means. That decision has paid off. Messi is 37 and has clearly slowed a little, but he remains capable of delivering in big moments, as he did with a winning free-kick goal against Porto. Pretty much all of Bayern stand out after that ridiculous scoreline, even if it came against amateur opposition. Jamal Musiala has the early claim on the Golden Boot, having scored a hat-trick in that game. For Manchester City, Phil Foden got off on the right foot with a goal and an assist against Wydad, and Chelsea's new signing Liam Delap made a positive impact on his debut, a 2-0 win over LAFC. Kylian Mbappé, meanwhile, has been a notable absence, having been briefly in hospital this week with gastroenteritis.