Chris Richards helps U.S. U-20 team advance to CONCACAF final

Bayern Munich U-19 defender Chris Richards joined his international teammates on the United States U-20 squad for the CONCACAF U-20 tournament in Florida. In an interview and excellently written piece by Brian Sciaretta of American Soccer Now (ASN), Richards opened up on being able to join the team for the tourney.

Richards helped the team defeat Honduras 1-0 to advance to the finale against Mexico tonight at 7PM EST. Ahead of the match, Richards said,

I’ve never played Mexico before. 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.

Although Richards joined the United States U-20 team midway through the tournament, he has sought to make the most of his time. He said,

The team did amazing throughout the group stage and I wanted to bring my game to the team and continue to push people. 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.

As the conversation shifted to Bayern, Richards spoke about his experience with the club. Specifically, Richards talked about how intense it was to practice with a squad full of stars and legends when he had the opportunity to train with the first team.

It’s kind of nerve-wracking at first because it’s a big responsibility. 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.

ASN indicated that Bayern may have an option to buy Richards at the end of his loan stint, but to his credit, the 18-year-old would rather focus on his development rather than fret about how FC Dallas and Bayern negotiate the next steps in the career of the Texans Soccer Club product. Richards acknowledged that,

It weighs on my mind a little bit. 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, It’s been amazing for me and I am embracing a new culture, learning a new language, and learning a new style of play. The Germans are way more technical. It’s really helped develop me on the field and off the field.

Details for the game and how to watch it are courtesy of our sister site, Once a Metro, and are listed below:

USA vs Mexico - 2018 CONCACAF Men’s U-20 Championship Final

• When: 7:00 pm, Eastern; Wednesday, November 21, 2018
• Where: IMG Academy Stadium, Bradenton, FL
• TV: Univision Deportes
• Online: Univision Deportes En Vivo, CONCACAF Go