With 0-1 Win over Saudi Arabia, United States Advances to Knockout Stage in Concacaf Gold Cup
Chris Richards gives a box-to-box, Man of the Match performance in Austin to help the USMNT secure advancement to the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup.
The United States Men’s National Team had a much harder time in their second match of the Concacaf Gold Cup, but still found the win they needed to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals of their final major tournament before hosting the Men’s World Cup next year.
United States defender Chris Richards was responsible for the two biggest plays in the United States’ 0-1 win over the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Austin, Texas — and they just happened to take place on opposite sides of the field.
In the first half, he prevented an almost certain go-ahead goal for Saudi Arabia. Saudi winger Abdulrahman Al Obud was on the run and looked like he had a clear path to the goal. United States goalkeeper Matt Freese didn’t have a good angle to prevent the shot.
In came Richards, sliding in at the perfect moment to block the shot and keep the scoreline at nil-nil going into the locker room.
Then in the second half, the Stars and Stripes won a free kick from the right side of the field. USMNT midfielder Sebastian Berhalter crossed the ball into the area, found Richards in the middle of the box, and Richards’ left foot connected, sending the ball into the upper left corner of the goal.
Though Saudi Arabia’s bench protested, and their players pleaded for an offside flag, the strike would be the match winner. It was Richards’ second for the United States after a 2023 goal against Canada in the Nations League final.
“I think we played well under pressure. It wasn’t an easy game,” said United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino in a post-match press conference. “The [Saudi] players are very competitive, they know how to compete … they have quality, and it is a country that is progressing a lot.”
On the other side of the pitch, Saudi Arabia head coach Hervé Renard was proud of his team’s performance — and didn’t have much positive to say about the United States’ effort in open play.
“They won the goal on set pieces, but we [had] a good game,” Renard said in a post-match press conference.
2025 Concacaf Gold Cup
Group Stage — Matchday 2 — Group D
Q2 Stadium
Austin, Texas
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 0 — 1 United States
United States Goals
Chris Richards 63’ (Assist: Berhalter)
Soccer Sheet’s Man of the Match
Chris Richards (USMNT)
The match got off to a slow start, with both teams choosing to play conservatively — and the first half statistics reflected two teams stuck in their respective shells. Both teams had only two shots in the first half, with USMNT striker Patrick Agyemang earning his squad’s only shot on target from a 45th minute header off of a pass from frequent collaborator Jack McGlynn.
Saudi Arabia let the United States maintain the lion’s share of possession, but when they had the ball they were dangerous, getting fast breaks and creating chances when the United States made mistakes in their build up play. However, thanks to Richards’ miraculous block, Saudi forward Feras Al Brikan forced Freese’s only save in the sleepy first half.
After the break, Pochettino made some changes to the team’s structure to better exploit the space Saudi Arabia was giving the U.S., but didn’t immediately make substitutes. He thought the changes led to a better second half performance.
“We were more fluid in our circulation of the ball … the team always was solid,” said Pochettino.
Richards continued to defend at a high level, and also started to threaten in set piece plays, getting a shot on target off of a Jack McGlynn corner in the 54th minute. Six minutes later, McGlynn got off a shot that forced a block, but the United States still hadn’t broken through after 60 minutes of play.
Finally, after Al Obud fouled Alexander Freeman in the 62nd minute, the Stars and Stripes got the set piece they needed, and the U.S. dominated the match offensively afterward. Saudi Arabia got their third shot off early in the second half, but wouldn’t record a single shot after the United States’ goal.
The most excitement came in the closing minutes of the match, with a conflict between players almost turned into an all-out brawl. USMNT center back Miles Robinson fouled Al Obud in the 89th minute, and the brewing tensions finally boiled over. Players started shoving one another as both coaches jumped on the field.
Renard told reporters he simply wanted to prevent his players from earning a red card.
“I didn’t want to fight, I just wanted to separate them,” said Renard.
Though the U.S. had to endure 7 minutes of stoppage time, defender Tim Ream used his head to disrupt the Saudi buildup on multiple occasions, and the United States only needed the one goal to clinch their spot in the knockout rounds.
The two straight wins are an improvement for the USMNT, which suffered a four match losing streak under Pochettino including a disappointing fourth place finish in Nations League play, and a shocking 0-4 loss to Switzerland earlier in the year.
Results are difficult to defend when you don't win. It's difficult to say, ‘No, but we are in a good way. We are doing well. We need time,’” said Pochettino after the match. “I think [this is] a process that's going to provide us the possibility to be more solid and bring the victories that we want.”
Their final group stage match, against Haiti, will take place on Sunday at 7:00 PM ET at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. A win or a draw will guarantee top seeding for the U.S. in the quarterfinals, while Saudi Arabia will advance with a win and likely advance with a draw.