As the U.S. Men’s National Team prepared for the upcoming Concacaf Gold Quarterfinal, defender Chris Richards found himself transported back to high school.
Before the team took off for Minneapolis, where the USA will face Costa Rica at U.S. Bank Stadium on June 29, the USMNT trained at The Star in Frisco, the venue for Richards’ high school graduation. That’s his visceral, last memory of the field.
“There's a lot of high school football games we experienced here. But, more than anything, it was graduation,” Richards said. “I think it was just my final chapter of high school, and knowing I was heading off to Europe next week. It was a big full circle for me.”
Richards, an Alabama native, moved to Texas when he was a teenager. He developed through FC Dallas Academy, one of MLS’ top youth programs. Through the soccer academy, he attended Lone Star High School just miles from where the U.S. defeated Haiti 2-1 in the final group stage match on June 22 at AT&T Stadium.
Right after his high school graduation, he took off for Bayern FC Academy in Germany.
“It was like me finally becoming an adult,” Richards said. “I left home at 16, but I think finally becoming that man, leaving at 18, going to Europe. I don't think I was ready for it, but I don't think my family was ready for it either. But it was an amazing experience.”
For six years, an American kid from the South navigated Germany and ultimately cracked a spot in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim in 2020. Richards also played for Bayern Munich before he moved to compete for Crystal Palace in the English Premier League in 2022. He found a starting position there, gaining invaluable minutes as Palace won the FA Cup in 2025.
The momentum of a stellar club season has Richards leading the USMNT at 25 years old. The center back has been an integral part of the back line in the Gold Cup, only allowing one goal in the group matches — tied for first in the tournament. He also scored his second international goal, the game-winner for the United States in the 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in the second Gold Cup group match.
In 2022, a hamstring injury ruled Richards out of contention for the World Cup roster, but now with the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil in sight, Richards is positioning himself well to be an important asset on that team.
“Since we got the bid for the World Cup, I haven’t stopped thinking about it,” Richards said.
Richards knows he wouldn’t have gotten here without the experience he had in Texas as a 16-year-old. Before Richards made it to the FC Dallas Academy, he lived in Tomball, Texas and trained with Texans SC Academy in Houston.
That’s exactly where Richards hopes to return with the USMNT. The Gold Cup final will be held in Houston at NRG Stadium on July 6. However, first, the USA will need to win the quarterfinal and the semifinal. Then, Richards could have the chance at a full-circle moment as he and the team hope to lift the cup trophy in their last tournament before next summer.
“Playing in Texas means a lot to me,” Richards said. “Being able to play this tournament on home soil is kind of a sneak peek into what's to come next year ... just building that momentum and that winning spirit in every city that we go to, I think it will be really beneficial for us next year so that fans come out. They've seen a winning team, but also a team that they believe in.”
