Day: June 10, 2026

U.S. Men’s National Team Training Base (IRVINE, Calif.) — There was no tape supporting his sore left ankle. There was no ice on it, no limp as he walked toward a microphone in front of several dozen reporters, no indication at all that Chris Richards — the United States World Cup team’s top defender — was anything other than 100 percent ahead of the Americans tournament opener up the coast at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on Friday against Paraguay. OK, maybe not 100 percent. But Richards insisted on Wednesday that he’s healthy and available to start. “I’m feeling good,” the Alabama-born center back said when asked if he’s recovered from the injury he suffered playing for English Premier League club Crystal Palace last month. “Maybe it’s a little swollen, [but] I’m ready.” As if Richards was ever going to miss the World Cup opener. He was expected to anchor the USA’s back line at global soccer’s last quadrennial showpiece four years ago in Qatar, only to be felled by a torn hamstring that forced him to watch the Americans’ run to the knockout stage from his couch. His return is a godsend for a Stars and Stripes squad that has leaked preventable goals in each if its last two matches without him, conceding twice in each of their pre-World Cup games against Senegal and Germany. For the U.S. to have a long stay on home soil — the U.S. is co-hosting this summer’s event with Canada and Mexico — having the steady, hard-tackling Richards on the field will be essential. The fact is the Americans got lucky. When he had to be taken off the field on a stretcher during Palace’s 2-2 tie with Brentford on May 17, both he and U.S. fans were worried that Richards would miss a second consecutive World Cup. “I was pretty devastated,” he said. “I feared the worst.” Once he realized the ailment would only sideline him for weeks rather than months, there was only one question in his mind. “How do I get ready to play against Paraguay?” The answer involved almost around-the-clock rehab. “That’s what I’ve been doing for 24 hours [a day],” he said. “Whatever it takes to be available.” While the ankle still isn’t quite in pre-injury condition, Richards has been involved fully in training over the last three days with no restrictions or problems afterward. “And I think y’all have seen the intensity of our practices” under Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino, he joked. “Part of playing the sport is you’re gonna have some pain at some point,” he said. “I’m totally OK with that as long as functionally I’m good.” Now that he is, Ricahrds teammates are thrilled to have him back. “He’s looked good,” forward Haji Wright said when I asked him how Richards has been training since the team becan working out here on Monday. “He hasn’t missed a beat.” “Chris is one of the most important players on the team,” added veteran fullback/winger Tim Weah. “Seeing him healthy and playing his best football is everything.” It also gives Pochettino’s squad another experienced, vocal leader in his lineup. “He’s just somebody who brings a lot of energy, whether it’s understanding when somebody needs to be able to step up or wake up, or when somebody needs an arm around their shoulders,” fellow central defender Mark McKenzie said of Richards. “He has a presence on the field.” That presence matters, former U.S. center back and National Soccer Hall of Famer Marcello Balboa told me Wednesday after watching his old squad train. “He’s an organizer,” Balboa said. “He’s good in the air, he’s good on set pieces, he’s a very physical guy, he can get into a tackle. “If you’re going to get out of the group, and you’re going to try to get deep in this tournament, the spine of the team has to be strong,” he continued. When you look at this team with Richards, when he’s healthy, he’s a guy that’ll just make that back line a little bit more solid, a little bit more secure.” After the Paraguay match, Richards will have a full week to rest and be ready for the second group stage contest, in Seattle versus Australia on June 19. He brushed aside any suggestion that playing in Friday’s curtain-raiser could jeopardize his health for the rest of the first round —and hopefully beyond. “If I’m making myself available,” said Richards, “It’s because they can trust me to play at 100 percent.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The difference between the world’s best defenders and solid players is minimal. The traits that separate the elites from the pack aren’t physical, though. The world’s best defenders are going to be on display this summer at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The teams with the most stable backlines that avoid making crucial errors will be the ones that progress the furthest. So, what does it take to be one of the best? For me, there are three traits that separate impressive athletes from the best defenders in the world: awareness, positioning and mentality. Key Traits For Elite Soccer Defenders The best attacking players in the world can recognize the moments to pounce better than the rest. They see if someone is out of position, if they can time a run perfectly on someone’s back shoulder or identify where there’s even the tiniest bit of space that can be exploited. That comes down to soccer IQ, the ability to recognize a weakness in a split second. For a defender, you have to be absolutely tuned in and focused at every second. A big part of that is communication with the rest of your backline. You have to know where players on your weak side are or when runners are coming from another side of the pitch. When those things aren’t properly communicated, mistakes are going to happen and will likely be punished at the highest level. The end of the first half for the U.S. against Senegal is a great example. Antonee Robinson lost the ball further up the pitch with the Americans up, 2-0. That led to a counterattack for Senegal, which finished with a Sadio Mané goal that dampened the excitement on what otherwise was a great first half. One mistake, and you get punished by top players. A lot of players are very athletic and clearly quite good. You see those guys and think, “Hmm, I wonder what’s missing there.” Then you watch them on the pitch and see a mistake like I described above and think, “Oh, I get it now.” You see it all the time, when a defender falls asleep on the back post and an attacker runs in from their blindside to score. You wonder, “What are you doing?” You have to be alert at every moment. At the highest level, there’s simply a smaller margin for error. Being in the right position and knowing where you’re supposed to be can make up for a lot of other deficiencies. You don’t have to be the most athletic defender to succeed if you consistently find yourself in the right spots. My Favorite Defenders To Watch The first player is an easy answer for me: Virgil van Dijk. First off, I enjoy a center back who loves to be attack-minded and score a big goal on set pieces. Van Dijk has scored some massive goals in recent years at club level for Liverpool, and he’ll be a threat on corner and free kicks for the Netherlands at the World Cup. His ability to dominate in the air is a valuable skill on both ends of the pitch — and one that I can relate to and appreciate. Van Dijk is also very, very intelligent with his positioning. He’s very good tactically in terms of making sure he’s well-positioned. When he does get caught out, I think he’s more agile than people give him credit for. Hakimi has been so good at the club level and for Morocco over the majority of the past decade. He was a key player during Morocco’s run to the semifinals at the 2022 World Cup and when the country won a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics. The Paris Saint-Germain right back is known for his attacking prowess with his impressive pace, but he’s so steady defensively. He picks the perfect moments to be aggressive but also knows when to keep it simple going forward and while defending. It’s obviously easier when you have the physical gifts that Hakimi has. He’s one of the fastest players who will be at the World Cup, but he also has impressive size for a fullback. Few defenders have had as much success at both the club and international level as Hakimi, who FOX Soccer ranked as the No. 8 player at the World Cup this summer. I’m surprised his name doesn’t come up more as an elite defender and in conversations of who some of the best in the world are.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports