Overview:
Chris Richards will not dress for the U.S. men’s national team final World Cup warm-up against Germany on Saturday, head coach Mauricio Pochettino said in Friday’s pre-match press conference in Chicago.
Chris Richards has been hobbled by an ankle injury. (USA TODAY Sports)
Chris Richards will not dress for the U.S. men’s national team final World Cup warm-up against Germany on Saturday, head coach Mauricio Pochettino said in Friday’s pre-match press conference in Chicago.
Richards suffered with an ankle injury in which he had torn ligaments while performing in Crystal Palace’s penultimate match of its Premier League campaign against Brentford.
He worked out on Friday, Pochettino said.
While no final determination has been made on Richard’s status for the World Cup, the possibility of the center back playing in the World Cup is in doubt.
“He’s still not ready to compete and play,” Pochettino said. “I think we are going to have that opportunity in the next few days to assess him and see his ankle, and then to make a decision.”
If Richards isn’t healed by the start of the World Cup, Pochettino and the U.S. squad will have an opportunity to replace an injury player on its 26-man roster a day prior to its opening match. The Americans face Paraguay in its opener at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. on Friday, June 12.
The U.S. meets four-time World Cup champion Germany at Soldier’s Field.
Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 28 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.