IRVINE, CA — When coach Mauricio Pochettino began the United States Men’s National Team’s World Cup preparations in Atlanta in late May, he had one simple mission: keep everyone happy and healthy.
“Zero risk? Impossible,” Pochettino said of his team’s preparations. “But if it’s possible to arrive to zero, we will do it. The objective is to compete, and compete well, but not take risks.”
Mission accomplished. On Wednesday, the team’s last remaining injured player—defender Chris Richards, who suffered torn ligaments in his ankle just a few weeks ago—declared himself ready for competition.
“I’m ready,” Richards said. “I mean, it’s the World Cup, so I’ll make myself ready regardless. I’m feeling good, maybe a little swollen, but nothing tape can’t help.”
The announcement, delivered with Richards’s trademark smile, capped off a frankly stellar training camp for the USMNT. Pochettino’s men accomplished everything they needed to: they healed themselves where they could, put in strong performances against Senegal and Germany and developed the kind of chemistry that carries teams through difficult periods. Richards’s long-awaited return was the final piece of the team’s preparation puzzle.