That’s because Richards understands the position he’s in. Ream, who leads the team with 71 caps and has been wearing the captain’s armband, will be 38 years old at the 2026 World Cup. He won’t play forever and when that time comes, Richards wants to be ready to assume that role.

For most of 90 sleepy minutes Thursday night in Austin, Texas, a U.S. men’s national team littered with reserves probed and plodded. In their second Gold Cup group stage match, against a Saudi Arabia B-team,

Follow live as Mauricio Pochettino's United States men's national team look to build on a 5-0 win last time out as they face Saudi Arabia