For the entire U.S. National Team, it was crucial to regain confidence with a win, especially after suffering four consecutive losses, with criticism starting to swirl around their coach, Mauricio Pochettino.
Against this backdrop, Chris Richards spoke about the result and how challenging the CONCACAF Gold Cup region can be, pointing out Mexico’s struggle against the Dominican Republic in their debut as an example.
Chris Richards on how unpredictable CONCACAF can be
The Crystal Palace defender expressed that you never know what to expect in this competition, where the level of play has undoubtedly risen in every aspect.
“I think we all saw Mexico kind of struggle last night against the Dominican Republic side, so with CONCACAF there’s no telling what you’re gonna get. So I’m glad we came out and had a statement win today, and I think that kind of sets the tone for the whole tournament,” he said after the match against Trinidad & Tobago.
He added that it feels good to finally secure a victory to put the poor results behind them, reflecting the work they’ve been doing under Mauricio Pochettino’s leadership.
“Definitely. We had good weeks of training but I think we got no result to show for it. So I think after the two friendlies our main thing was just to put that behind us and to go into Gold Cup 2025 with a fresh mind.”
“Today was a good step forward and it’s not the end of it, it’s definitely a breath of fresh air especially for the guys who have kind of gotten their first wins with the National Team. It gives everybody a lot of confidence but especially these guys who have never experienced.”
Regarding Malik Tillman, who scored a brace to lead the USMNT’s victory, Richards said he was thrilled for him, noting that when he met Tillman as a youth player, he never imagined he would represent the United States.
“I’ve known Malik since he was 16 or 17, we were at the Bayern Munich Academy together. It’s been crazy because when I first met him he didn’t speak English, and now, you know, he’s playing with the U.S. Men’s National Team. It’s really amazing to not just see him develop as a player but as a person. I think he fully deserved two goals today,” he stated.
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