Chris Richards Trains with USMNT But Misses Final Friendly Against Germany
Chris Richards, the defender for the U.S. men's national team, will not participate in the team's last pre-World Cup friendly against Germany on Saturday, June 6, due to an ongoing recovery from an ankle injury. Although he trained with the group in Chicago, he remains unfit to compete. Richards suffered the injury while playing for Crystal Palace on May 17, casting uncertainty over his availability for the upcoming World Cup. He had not joined his U.S. teammates in training until Friday's session, having focused on individual workouts for several days prior. USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino stated, "Today, he's training and his evolution is well, but he still is not ready to compete and to play." He emphasized the need for further evaluation of Richards' ankle post-match against Germany before making any decisions about his participation in the World Cup. Key points regarding Richards' situation include: He last played in Palace's Premier League finale on May 24 against Arsenal. He was an unused substitute for the UEFA Conference League final on May 27. Richards reported late to the USMNT camp due to his commitments in Leipzig, Germany. Pochettino expressed frustration over the lack of clarity regarding Richards’ fitness, noting the challenges in making roster decisions without accurate information. He indicated that the coaching staff had initially expected Richards to be available for earlier matches, including the recent friendly against Senegal, which he missed. Despite training with the team, Richards' participation in the World Cup opener against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium remains uncertain as they continue to assess his recovery.
Source: CBS Sports - 2026-06-05