Chris Richards Wants His Gold Cup Heroics To Lead the U.S. At '26 World Cup
AUSTIN, Texas – At the final whistle, Chris Richards dropped to the turf on one knee, looked up at the sky, crossed his chest and said a quick prayer. The U.S. men's national team had just beaten Saudi Arabia 1-0 to clinch its second straight Gold Cup victory, and he was relieved.
On a hot and sticky evening at Q2 Stadium, when the front line couldn't find the back of the net, it was Richards who stepped up and not only saved a goal in the first half, but scored the winning one in the second. The result means the USMNT will advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament, despite still having one more group stage match against Haiti on Sunday (7 p.m. ET on FOX).
Richards, 25, is one of the more experienced players for the USMNT with 27 caps. The 6-foot-1 stalwart defender made 32 appearances across all competitions for Crystal Palace in England this season and helped his club win the FA Cup in May. He would likely have been a starting center back alongside Tim Ream at the 2022 World Cup had a hamstring tear not ruled him out.
While not being part of that group in Qatar was tough for Richards, he's grown for both club and country since, and has proven to be a clear and steady leader for an otherwise young squad this summer.
"He is the type of player who can be a leader and step up for the team with his performance," U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino said. "I'm so happy for him because he's a really great guy, and I think this season with Crystal Palace was fantastic for him, and now he's trying to translate all his experience to this team.
"But most important is that he's so humble. And that is what I like the most. When he arrives [in camp], he's always very open to learn, to talk."
That's because Richards understands the position he's in. Ream, who leads the team with 71 caps and has been wearing the captain's armband, will be 38 years old at the 2026 World Cup. He won't play forever and when that time comes, Richards wants to be ready to assume that role.
"Nobody told me that I need to make those types of plays, but I'm my harshest critic and so, for me personally, I want to kind of be the leader for this team," Richards said. "I think there's no secret that Tim is getting a little older and at some point, he has to let go of the reign. So hopefully I can be the guy to step into that spot. I've learned a lot from him over the last few years."
Saudi Arabia made things difficult for the USMNT to get shots in the first half – by halftime, the U.S. had only mustered two with one on goal. In the 31st minute, Abdulrahman Al-Obud beat Alex Freeman and found himself alone on the left wing in perfect position to score. He got a quality shot off, and it likely would have gone in if not for Richards tracking back and sliding in for a massive block.
"That is what we want and that is what we expect because he has the quality," Pochettino said. "When you create the platform that the players feel confident and feel the power and the energy, we start to play like a team.
"In previous games in previous months, maybe it was difficult to find an action like this. But now it's because the spirit of the group forces you to do something heroic. It's what we want to keep [doing] until the World Cup."
Pochettino made a few tactical adjustments in the second half, like moving Freeman a bit higher to create more of a three-back back line instead of the usual four, and sliding Sebastian Berhalter deeper. In the 56th minute, Richards was in position to get a close-range header off a Jack McGlynn corner kick, but it went right into goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi's chest.
"The afro kind of stopped it a little bit," Richards said, laughing. "Pros and cons of the afro."
Moments later, after Pochettino made his first substitutions of the night to get Tyler Adams and Damion Downs into the game, Richards got another chance. In the 63rd minute, Berhalter's free-kick service was on point and Richards finished it to give the U.S. a 1-0 edge. It was his second international goal for the USMNT.
Richards said later that he and Berhalter had been working on set pieces all week.
"As soon as I saw it there, I thought, 'This has to be me,'" Richards said.
Chris Richards scored off a set piece to give the United State a 1-0 lead over Saudi Arabia.
After the goal, Saudi Arabia picked up the pace, desperate to tie it up in order to clinch their spot in the knockout round. But the U.S. showed maturity and held off their opponent for another 25 minutes.
While Pochettino and his players acknowledged the overall performance could have been better, it was important to get another win to build belief and confidence within the group. Especially considering how the U.S. entered this tournament – on a four-game skid with drama surrounding the team.
"I said it when we were obviously on the losing streak, and it doesn't feel good to all the boys: You just have to continue to trust the process, even when things don't feel perfect," Adams said. "[Pochettino] even said in the locker room after the game, 'Enjoy that feeling, understand what that feeling is like and what you just had to do and put all that emotion out on the field because it doesn't come easy."
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman .
The "FOX Soccer" crew including Landon Donovan and Alexi Lalas provided a recap of
recommended
Get more from Gold Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
How to Watch Jamaica vs Guadeloupe: Live Stream CONCACAF Gold Cup, TV Channel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Jamaica will face Guadeloupe in this 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup matchup on Friday at PayPal Park, and you can catch all the action with FuboTV. Jordan Leborgne #18 of Guadeloupe controls the ball during the Group Stage - Group C match between Panama and Guadeloupe as part of the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup at Dignity Health Sports Park on June... Jordan Leborgne #18 of Guadeloupe controls the ball during the Group Stage - Group C match between Panama and Guadeloupe as part of the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup at Dignity Health Sports Park on June 16, 2025, in Carson, California. MoreHow to Watch Jamaica vs Guadeloupe Date: Friday, June 20, 2025 Time: 7:45 PM ET TV Channel: FOX Sports 1 Stream: Fubo (TRY FOR FREE) Jamaica and Guadeloupe will take the pitch on Friday, June 20th, at PayPal Park in this CONCACAF Gold Cup match. If either team were to lose this match, they would effectively be eliminated from contention after both failed to gain any points during their Gold Cup openers. Panama and Guatemala both received maximum points for their efforts in their first matches, putting them in a prime position to advance. Jordan Leborgne and Florian David both scored for Guadeloupe against Panama, but unfortunately, they allowed five goals, which was too much to overcome. Jamaica put up a better fight against Guatemala, losing by only one point, but they were unable to get on the board and must bring their offense to the fight in this one, or they will be heading home early. This is a great CONCACAF Gold Cup matchup; make sure to tune in and catch all the action. You can view this match on FOX Sports 1 with a free one-month subscription to FuboTV. Live stream every CONCACAF Gold Cup match for free with Fubo: Start your subscription now! Gold Cup Potential Lineups Jamaica: Blake; Latibeaudiere, King, Pinnock, Bell; Russell, Lowe, Gray; Bailey, Burrell, Cephas Guadeloupe: Cognard; Macon, Cavare, Jullien, Roussillon; Cadiou, Baron; Arenate, Leborgne, Phaeton; Ambrose Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Auckland City Gets Routed for 2nd Straight Time at Club World Cup
Five days after losing 10-0 to FC Bayern, Auckland City was routed again, at the hands of Benfica. Angel Di Maria and Leandro Barreiro each scored two goals on Friday to help the Portugese-based club, Benfica, to defeat Auckland City 6-0 in a Club World Cup game that was delayed at halftime because of thunder and lightning. Di María, who teamed with Lionel Messi to win the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, scored his first goal from the penalty spot deep into added time at the end of the first half. His second score, and the team's sixth, was again from the penalty spot and in added time at the end of the match. Auckland City exchanged counterattacks with the Portuguese powerhouse in the first half of the Group C match, but was still outshot 18-1. The second half went Benfica's way. Vangelis Pavlidis made it 2-0 in the 53rd minute, Renato Sanches scored a short time later and Barreiro then scored a pair of goals to increase the lead to 5-0. A thunderstorm delayed the start of the second half for more than two hours. When the match resumed at Inter&Co Stadium, the goals came pouring in for Benfica. Key moment Auckland midfielder Tong Zhou went down with an apparent head injury just before halftime. Trainers attended to Zhou on the field, and Benfica defender Alvaro Carreras complained about the delay. He was given a yellow card after a spat with game officials. Takeaways With the win, Benfica has four points in Group C. Bayern Munich, which beat Auckland City 10-0 in its opening match, plays Boca Juniors later Friday in Miami Gardens, Florida. What they said "It was very good. We are happy to play here." — Benfica coach Bruno Lage. "I'm a little bit frustrated. The first half was solid. It was just very disappointing to concede a goal. I think the guys are going to be a little bit disappointed in the scoreline." — Auckland coach Paul Posa. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from FIFA Club World Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Senegal women's basketball team members denied US visas, prime minister says
The Senegalese women's basketball team has scrapped plans to train in the U.S. for the upcoming AfroBasket tournament in the Ivory Coast next month after several players and team officials had their visas denied, Senegal's prime minister said. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said on Facebook Thursday that the team would train in Senegal's capital, Dakar, 'in a sovereign and conducive setting.' The West African nation's federation said in a statement that the visa applications of five players and seven officials weren't approved. 'Informed of the refusal of issuing visas to several members of the Senegal women's national basketball team, I have instructed the Ministry of Sports to simply cancel the 10-day preparatory training initially planned in the United States of America,' Sonko said. The visa denials come amid a push by the Trump administration to have countries improve vetting travelers or face a ban on their citizens visiting the United States. Senegal wasn't on that list of countries and it was not immediately clear why the visas were denied. The travel ban includes exemptions for the World Cup, the Olympics and any 'other major sporting event,' though it's unclear what is considered a major event. The team is coached by Otis Hughley Jr., who previously led the Nigerian women's basketball team. He was the men's coach at Alabama A&M before resigning in March. Senegal, which was going to train in the U.S. from Sunday through July 3, has finished either first or second in four of the last five AfroBasket championships over the last decade and has won 11 titles in total. The tournament determines Africa's champion, which earns entry into the FIBA World Cup next year in Germany. ___
