Chris Richards is known for his strong defensive work in the U.S. men’s national team squad but the Crystal Palace stole the show on both ends of the field on Thursday night.
Richards delivered the winning goal against Saudi Arabia, while also helping contribute to a clean sheet in a 1-0 triumph. The USMNT centerback earned SBI USMNT Man of the Match honors for a strong two-way performance in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad.
Abdulrahman Al Obud had a golden opportunity to propel Saudi Arabia in front in the first half but Richards delivered one of the top defensive plays of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The 25-year-old raced back before sliding and blocking Al Obud’s shot, keeping the two sides level.
With both teams pressing for a breakthrough goal, it was Richards who played the hero role.
Richards flicked home Sebastian Berhalter’s free kick into the bottom-left corner for a 1-0 USMNT lead.
The USMNT would hang on for their second win of the competition, advancing to next week’s quarterfinal round.
Richards won four duels, made one interception, and made two blocks on the defensive side of the field. It was one of his best performances in a USMNT shirt, continuing what has been a positive 2025 for club and country.
Richards edged Berhalter, Max Arfsten, and Tim Ream for Player of the Match honors.
What did you think of Richards’ performance? Where do you rank him in the USMNT’s centerback pool? Do you expect him to stay in the XI as the tournament progresses?
Share your thoughts below.
I’m seeing a potential two striker system with Adams and Berhalter as the two work horses at CM and Tillman at RM, Luna at LM. Downs and Ayge will be nightmares for any CB’s to contend with. Time to see more of that second half for a whole game.
And yes Richards was a beast today. Have to say Ream is still defying everyone. Still has it.
Saudi Arabia was not at full strength
Saudi Arabia was not at full strength . . . which is very concerning in that
1. we couldn’t get more than one goal
2. Saudi Arabia looked more athletic than the US at the beginning of the game and seemed to win a lot of one-on-one battles, and
3. Saudi Arabia had some good scoring chances and missed a great opportunity around 50-55 minutes to take the lead only smashing one off the underside of the cross bar.
I am glad the US got a win, but other than time of possession, I wasn’t all that sure that we really won the game.
Who was??
Who was??
Who was??
MidWest ref agreed
MidWest Ref,
“Saudi Arabia was not at full strength . . . ”
Neither was the USMNT.
” I wasn’t all that sure that we really won the game.”
If it helps the final scoreline was 1 goal USMNT, 0 goals Saudi Arabia.
Under just about every system I can think of that counts as a win for the USMNT.
This is not Olympic Figure skating where you get style points.
It wasn’t a gladiatorial contest where, according to legend, the emperor gets to do the thumbs up or down thing at the end, even if that is a great idea.
If you think it was not a fun game to watch or that we should have scored more goals, or that Luna, Berhalter and Johnny have questionable pornstaches, sure, that’s fair.
But won or lost? No doubt, the USMNT won the game and secured a place in the quarter finals for whatever that is worth.
.
Vacqui you just comment never get anyone’s point, or use reading comprehension skills, just come on here and spout BS. Tim Ream hustling against a Saudi B team does not prove he still has it is my point!
Vacqui – style points count a whole bunch in a watered-down Gold Cup in the year before a world cup. So yeah, I am basing my review on a gynmastics/skating undefined ratings system.
Are you really happy Vacqui that the US squeaked out a win against freakin’ Saudi Arabia? In an empty Austin FC stadium? Where the diameter of the cross bar kept the game at 0-0? Im not.
I don’t care if the US isn’t at full strength. We shouldn’t eek out a 1-0 win against freakin’ Saudi Arabia in a home game in Texas.
It was not SA’s complete first squad but it did have Firas who assisted on their first goal against Argentina at the WC. That goal was scored by Al-Shehri who came off the bench last night. So it wasn’t like they didn’t have any weapons. Those players go up against some of the best players in the world in practice and games in the Saudi league. Let’s not forget Al-Nassr smashed Inter Miami in a friendly last year. Al-Nassr finished 14 pts behind Al-Hilal and Inter won the Supporters Shield in MLS. Al-Hassan and Al-Amir both played last night and in that match. Herve Renard was a fan choice for the US job and he did a great job of setting his team up. He looked at the US attacking line and said let’s make Arfsten and Agyemang beat us and it almost worked.
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There’s no need to celebrate. It wasn’t a great performance, in 2021 we had five 1-0. Tournaments are grinds they are rarely always pretty. Survive and advance.
MWR and S91,
Pochettino is building a team for the World Cup.
And not for anything else.
I look at every single game before then as practice /preparation.
I have a friend who is a professional musician. You would not necessarily want to listen to her practices because they can be mind numbingly repetitive, irritating and/or boring.
I was happy that the Saudi game was a win for the USMNT. In tournaments winning is paramount over everything else.
WHY?
+ Because if you don’t win, you don’t advance.
+ If you don’t advance you don’t get to play in as many games.
+ And this USMNT needs as many games as it can possibly get in order to develop.
“Tim Ream hustling against a Saudi B team does not prove he still has it is my point!”
I never said that Ream has it all wrapped up. I said that he looks like the best bet to partner Richards at this point.
This is a “what have you done for me lately” game.
I’m not prejudiced or biased because of his age. I judge players by what they actually do in their last game not in a game in 2011.
If you can list a better realistic alternative to Ream at this point, then please name him.
If you guys did not think it was a game worth watching then I suggest you not watch the USMNT until the World Cup when, in theory, Pochettino will have his team ready. Then you can judge him and the players.
Oh and if you have kids who want to play, please don’t force them to watch a USMNT game. You don’t want to discourage them or expose them to bad habits like the MB90 approved backpass. Please think of their futures and spare their impressionable young minds.
I don’t know what expectation you guys have but as a long time USMNT fan I can tell you that anyone who watches this team expecting good soccer or an entertaining game is doomed to disappointment. At least you guys did not have to watch Ramiro Corrales, Jorge Villafana or Justin Mapp. I do miss Nick Lima and Brek Shea.
I watch other teams for good soccer. The USMNT is my version of rooting for the Cleveland Browns or the Washington Wizards.
The USMNT is in CONCACAF which provides it with a steady supply of crap teams to beat up on and look tough. That fosters the illusion that this team can play.
The truth is it has been , at best, mediocre to bad for a long time and I expect, will continue to be that way. The USSF has no interest in or concept of athletic competition or sporting excellence. They are primarily about branding.
I expect, depending on the draw and injuries, that we will get schooled in this World Cup.
Given the abbreviated schedule, I have said elsewhere that Pochettino was handed a shit sandwich with this job. He is a very accomplished manager, the best we’ve had along with Bora and in these games I can see, more or less, what he is trying to get at.
But this team won’t be “watchable” for a while, if ever. Our best player is Pulisic and he barely registers on the radar when you put him up alongside the best in the world. And a lot of those guys will be coming to America to play in the World Cup next year.
But I think Pochettino will run out of time to install what needs installing.
On the other hand, what keeps me interested is I could be wrong, maybe they will surprise me.
MWR: he didn’t hit the crossbar, he was well offside (at least half a yard). It was called immediately. If he had been onside he would not have had the space to shoot. They had only one shot on goal a fairly routine save by Freese and 3 shots total.
You are right – he was called offside. I did forget that while typing. But, he still his the crossbar with his shot. . . .
And, at least in the beginning, they ran by and through the US defense
I think the US has the weakest group in the Gold Cup. We will get out of the group. But, I am not okay with survive and advance in this tournament.
We will face (likely) either Costa Rica or Mexico in the first knockout. I’m not convinced we will advance.
MWR,
“I think the US has the weakest group in the Gold Cup. We will get out of the group. But I am not okay with survive and advance in this tournament….”
Regardless of what you are okay with, even you will probably agree that survival and advance is better than lose and leave.
“We will face (likely) either Costa Rica or Mexico in the first knockout. I’m not convinced we will advance.”
One thing at a time. We have proven we can beat this version of TNT and this version of KSA ( not KFC).
Haiti is next. I don’t think beating them is a given.
Maybe I’m reading this wrong but I’m pretty sure Pochettino is taking nobody for granted, unlike Bruce or maybe even Gregg used to.
As a European he seems blissfully ignorant of our internal prejudices concerning our chicken shit CONCACAF brethren. Remember this is the guy who took Cupcake seriously and takes MLS seriously unlike no one else here.
Take care of Haiti first.
Then you can worry about who we lose to next.
MWR: Our group may not be very strong but even SA B team is better than Suriname or Dominican Republic or anyone in Canada’s group. CR and SA are 54th and 58th respectively (I know FIFA rankings but that’s all we’ve got) SA isn’t missing that many players. Those guys were pros they mostly came from 3 clubs, Al-Nassr, Al-Itihad, and Al -Ahli. All play for quality European managers Stefano Pioli, Laurent Blanc, and Jaissle (who replaced Marsch at Salzburg and took them to the CL knockouts for the first time ever). Renard is an international manager specialist, who knows how to keep a squad organized. The USA came into the match 3-2-2 all-time against Saudi Arabia with an average score of 1.3-1.1. The only time we’ve played them in the last 25 years was the warm up to the WC 0-0. You’re picturing 2002 Saudi Arabia that lost 8-0 to Germany not current Saudi Arabia that beat Argentina at the WC.
Richards was a workhorse, but for a soft pass back to Freese, he scarcely made a wrong step.
Luna was a thorn in the Saudi’s side and in the first half looked to be the only US player willing to take a chance to fo forward.