ST. LOUIS - "I just have a lot to say."
Chris Richards has found his voice. Not that it was ever lost, to be fair, but it was a bit more muted, maybe a bit more timid. Not anymore. Richards is himself, but louder. He's the same player, but more confident. He's Chris Richards, but a different version, one whose goal is no longer to break into teams, but to lead them.
That applies for both club and country. He lifted one trophy this year with Crystal Palace, where he was fueled by the hardest conversation of his career, right on through to an FA Cup. He has a chance to lift another on Sunday with the USMNT, having stepped into the spotlight in the absence of many of the team's stars. Despite several veterans missing this Gold Cup, there has been no leadership void - in large part because Richards has been eager to fill it.
That's by design. All of the interviews, press conferences and media availabilities? That's him taking responsibility. All of those moments on the training pitch? That's him using his experience. And all of the crucial moments that propelled the the USMNT to the Gold Cup final? Well, that's just Richards being Richards, establishing himself as one of the most vital pieces in this USMNT - with a World Cup on the horizon.
"Honestly, I'm just me," Richards tells GOAL. "It's not something where I have to step out of myself and do extra. I'm myself, but just a little bit more vocal. I've also gotten to a point where I can just be a leader and be more vocal rather than letting a captain do it. There can be three or four captains on the field. That's what makes a great team - more than one guy stepping up to the plate.
"I understand I'm a leader and I want to act like it. Regardless of who's on the team at the World Cup next year, I still want to be that person. I came into this summer with the confidence to say, 'Man, I'm doing my own f*cking thing and I’m going to be me'. Like, I'm going to earn my spot, but I'm also going to try and be captain or whatever the case may be. That's been my No. 1 goal this camp."
Richards finding his voice isn't a new development, though. His path towards leadership didn't begin this summer. It began with a verbal beatdown back in South London, one that forced him to reckon with the fact that he hadn't yet become the player he always wanted to be.
