Richards saves the day for the USMNT on a night when the frontline couldn't

AUSTIN, Texas — The first half was a brutal watch for those sitting in the stands at a half-full Q2 Stadium. Battling with a stiflingly humid 96-degree evening, the U.S. men’s national team was locked at 0-0 against an organized Saudi Arabia team in its second Gold Cup group stage match.

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino looked exasperated at his wilting squad, which was sluggish, lackluster and lacking any dynamism — a stark contrast from the vibe in Sunday’s 5-0 thrashing of Trinidad and Tobago in the Americans’ tournament opener.

“We want to win, but at the same time it’s to help the players to perform and to knock [on] the door and say, ‘We can perform for the national team and we can be involved in the next World Cup,'” Pochettino said after the previous victory, looking fully confident for the upcoming match against Saudi Arabia.

“That is what I expect. Win, and the players really believe that they are having the opportunity …[to] fight for a place in the World Cup.”

With plenty of starters and key figures missing from this summer’s roster, the narrative was set for an up-and-coming attacking name or fringe option (like Diego Luna) to save the day against Saudi Arabia. Instead, the star of the night — someone who’s well versed in the Texas heat — was defender Chris Richards.

Diving into a cross from Sebastian Berhalter off a free kick in the 63rd minute, the FA Cup winner (with Crystal Palace) converted to give the USMNT a 1-0 lead it would not let slip, booking its spot in the Gold Cup quarterfinals with two wins from two matches to open the competition.

Celebrating the goal with his arms wide and seeming to glide better than any member of the attack, Richards was not only the savior with his goal but also served as a reminder of the resilience that this USMNT roster — missing plenty of key players this summer — will need to have at the Gold Cup.

Let’s not forget the best play of the first half either, which also involved Richards. Long before his goal, Richards provided a defensive intervention in the 31st minute that was just as worthy of his scoring effort. His stats, aside from the goal itself, also speak for themselves. Five clearances, two blocked shots, a 100% success rate in aerial duels, 95% accuracy rate with his 74 passes — the list continues for what will go down as a memorable night for the 25-year-old, who played academy soccer just across the state with FC Dallas.

But that’s the good news for the USMNT. The bad news? Pochettino can’t exactly rely on one of his central defenders to save the team in every game.

As superb as Richards was Thursday, the opposite could be said of most of the rest of the XI who still have much to prove in this Gold Cup. Going back to what Pochettino said earlier, the hope was to not only succeed in the international competition, but to also find more roster depth for the World Cup that begins in 12 months.

In a summer that’s missing marquee headliners Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Timothy Weah, Giovanni Reyna, Antonee Robinson, Yunus Musah and Sergiño Dest (for a variety of reasons), the hope was that after last Sunday’s eye-catching 5-0 win, more would continue to step up in the second group stage match.

Richards, a likely starter in a best XI, is far from that. While plenty of praise should be deservedly given to the standout player Thursday, who has officially helped book a place in the knockout round, the U.S. didn’t really gain much when it came to new faces being able to make their mark and challenge the missing starters.

And if that continues, they might not last much longer beyond the quarterfinals.

Looking at other title-contenders, such as Canada and Mexico, Pochettino and the rest of Richards’ teammates can’t afford to be as predictable and lethargic as they were Thursday. They’ll have one last tuneup with a group stage closer against Haiti on Sunday, but after that, the true fiery tests will emerge that far exceed the sweltering conditions in Austin.

But at the very least, against Saudi Arabia in a result that avoided an early Gold Cup catastrophe, fans of the USMNT can rest easy knowing that Richards was able to safely put out the fire.