ASN: Thriving at Bayern, Richards desperate to face Mexico in CONCACAF ultimate

In 2018, Chris Richards has elevated his sport at Bayern Munich and has develop into the anchor of the U.S. U-20 crew’s backline. Now the Alabama native is about to tackle Mexico for the primary time within the CONCACAF ultimate.

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
November 21, 2018
5:00 AM

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CHRIS RICHARDS has seen his inventory soar this yr as he has impressed on his mortgage from FC Dallas to Bayern Munich the place he’s a standout central defender for the membership’s U-19 crew. Throughout preseason he even performed with the legendary membership’s first crew.

The Alabama native has completed rather a lot, however there’s nonetheless one huge objective he needs to perform this yr and Wednesday evening will give him that chance. To this present day he has by no means performed Mexico at any degree and on Wednesday the U.S. U-20 crew will face its archrival within the U-20 CONCACAF ultimate.

“I’ve never played Mexico before,” Richards advised ASN from Florida. “You see it with our first team and the dislike we have for each other. I just want to bring that onto the field and show we’re the most superior team in CONCACAF. No matter who they bring on the field, we want to beat them.”

The U-20 crew has certainly appeared stellar to date all through a really grueling match. It comfortably received its group in opposition to largely minnows after which certified for the 2019 U-20 World Cup final Friday when it routed Costa Rica 4-0. Richards was added to the crew after the group stage and made his match debut in a 1-0 win over Honduras which despatched it to Wednesday’s ultimate.

Becoming a member of the crew mid-tournament was difficult for Richards however he had develop into aware of the crew within the camps main as much as the CONCACAF match. At first, he was uncertain if he was going to have the ability to take part as a result of Bayern Munich didn’t appear inclined to launch him. Ultimately, the membership agreed and the choice meant rather a lot to Richards.

“The team did amazing throughout the group stage and I wanted to bring my game to the team and continue to push people,” Richards mentioned. “It’s great to be stateside and hopefully make history with back-to-back CONCACAF titles. I’ve always wanted to represent the United States at competitive levels and now I am getting my chance to do it. I was so happy to get the call but at first I was uncertain if I was ever going to get it. Bayern wasn’t really talking about releasing me.”

Now with the crew having secured its spot on the World Cup subsequent yr in Poland and having impressed to date within the cycle, there’s discuss how far this crew can go. Since 2015, United States youth nationwide groups have begun to attain constantly higher outcomes than in earlier years.

On the 2015 U-20 World Cup, the U.S. crew superior to the quarterfinals the place it defeated Colombia and misplaced to eventual Champions Serbia in a shootout. Then in 2017, the U-20 crew received CONCACAF for the primary crew and returned to the quarterfinals, however this time the crew did so with out the 2 finest gamers from its age-group in Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic.

In 2019, the U-20 crew is more likely to be with out prime age-eligible gamers like Tyler Adams, Josh Sargent, and Tim Weah. However even with out these gamers, Richards is extraordinarily bullish on the crew’s possibilities to go additional than every other latest U.S. youth crew and he favorably compares the crew’s expertise with what he sees every day in Germany.

“Next year you’ll see us past the quarters, no question,” Richards mentioned with fun. “The sky is the limit. I haven’t played with a team like this. We are attacking, we are finishing, we are defending, we have amazing keepers. Everyone here can really handle their own and do it at a high level conistently. It’s really exciting to see. I think everybody on this team has European potential – whether they’re there or not right now. I see it, for sure.”

“We have a very deep team,” he added. “I know people think of Americans as slouches coming from CONCACAF who don’t beat anybody in qualifying. But we can hold our own against any team and we’re going to give them a run for their money no matter who it is.”

As 2018 has laid the muse for the beginning of his profession, 2019 can be an necessary transition. Along with the U-20 World Cup, he’ll purpose to proceed his progress at Bayern Munich because the mortgage has to date gone in accordance with plan.

After taking part in with the membership’s first crew in high-profile preseason video games, he has additionally been considerably of a daily on the membership’s first-team coaching classes. That form of elite setting checks Richards who takes to coronary heart that he’s not simply representing himself, however People as nicely.

“It’s kind of nerve-wracking at first because it’s a big responsibility,” Richards mentioned of taking part in friendlies with Bayern’s first crew. “I’ve never played a first-team game before – at Dallas I’ve never done that. I also had the responsibility of being an American and having to show the world that Americans can play. I feel like I put that responsibility on myself to showcase myself and get my name out there for our country. Also being a younger player and the tradition that Bayern has, they don’t like to lose. They’re a historic team. I wanted to bring all of that onto the field.”

As for what comes subsequent, Richards is unsure. He’s solely at Bayern on mortgage however ASN understands there’s an choice to purchase for the German membership. Nonetheless, he prefers to not get entangled with the discussions between Dallas and Bayern and as a substitute concentrate on soccer and reaching his potential.

“It weighs on my mind a little bit,” mentioned of his mortgage standing. “There is some stuff happening behind the scenes. I am not sure what it is yet. I let my agents handle it and let Dallas speak with my agents and Bayern.”

“This all is what I only dreamed of just a few months ago,” he continued. “It has been superb for me and I’m embracing a brand new tradition, studying a brand new language, and studying a brand new type of play. The Germans are far more technical. It is actually helped develop me on the sector and off the sector.”