Chris Richards appears to have been handed the most useful kind of World Cup minutes management: none at all.
The Crystal Palace centre-back was not named in the United States XI for their final Group D fixture against Turkey in Los Angeles.
The Guardian reported that Mauricio Pochettino made nine changes after the USA had already secured knockout qualification. The report also noted that the co-hosts had already topped Group D before their 3-2 defeat.
Palace’s official World Cup tracker had Richards down for full 90-minute outings in the wins over Paraguay and Australia. His rest therefore looks like protection, not a setback.
Richards Protection Hands Palace Knockout Bonus
That matters for both the USA and Palace.
Richards arrived at the tournament after an ankle-ligament scare, but still anchored a defence that opened with a 4-1 win over Paraguay and then shut out Australia.
For Palace, the benefit is obvious. Pierre Sage needs one of his senior defenders returning from the finals with sharpness, confidence and no unnecessary fatigue before a European season at Selhurst Park.
Read Crystal Palace has already covered why Richards’ World Cup role has become a Palace subplot.
Richards has already banked the heavy work. If Pochettino’s rotation keeps him available for the Round of 32, Palace can view it as sensible management.
It also underlines his standing in the US setup: rested because he is needed, not because his place has weakened.
