Chris Richards (soccer) facts for kids
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Richards with the United States U20 in 2019
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Christopher Jeffrey Richards | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | March 28, 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Center-back, defensive midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Crystal Palace | ||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 26 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Texans SC Houston | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | FC Dallas | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | → Bayern Munich (loan) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Bayern Munich II | 38 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Bayern Munich | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | → TSG Hoffenheim (loan) | 11 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | → TSG Hoffenheim (loan) | 19 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2022– | Crystal Palace | 46 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| National team‡ | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | United States U20 | 12 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | United States U23 | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2020– | United States | 23 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
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Christopher Jeffrey Richards (born March 28, 2000) is an American professional soccer player. He plays as a center-back (a defender in the middle) or a defensive midfielder for the English club Crystal Palace. He also plays for the United States national team.
Chris started his soccer journey with FC Dallas in the U.S. He then moved to Germany to play for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. He first played for their reserve team, Bayern Munich II. After playing on loan for 1899 Hoffenheim, he joined Crystal Palace in 2022.
He used to play for the U.S. youth teams. In 2020, he was called up to the senior national team. He helped the U.S. win the CONCACAF Nations League in 2023, even scoring a goal in the final game!
Contents
Club Career: Chris Richards' Journey in Soccer
Starting Out at FC Dallas
Chris Richards grew up in Hoover, Alabama. He played youth soccer there for Hoover SC. In 2016, he tried out for the FC Dallas Academy but didn't make it. Instead, he joined Texans SC in Houston. The next year, in 2017, he successfully joined the FC Dallas Academy.
On April 12, 2018, Chris signed his first professional contract with FC Dallas. This was a big step in his soccer career.
Moving to Bayern Munich
In May 2018, Chris and another FC Dallas player, Thomas Roberts, got a special chance. They went for a 10-day trial at FC Bayern Munich in Germany. This was part of an agreement between the two clubs. Chris played so well during the trial that Bayern Munich offered him a one-year loan deal in July.
On July 21, 2018, Chris played his first game for the Bayern senior team. This was during a friendly tournament called the 2018 International Champions Cup. He came into the game in the 62nd minute against Paris Saint-Germain F.C., helping Bayern win 3–1.
During the 2018–19 season, Chris played for Bayern München's U19 team. He became a regular player and was praised for how good he was in the air (heading the ball) and his passing skills. On January 19, 2019, Bayern Munich signed Chris permanently. He then made his professional debut on August 19, 2019, playing for FC Bayern Munich II in Germany's 3. Liga. His team won 2–1 against Hallescher FC. That season, he played 30 games and scored 4 goals, helping Bayern II win the 3. Liga title.
On June 20, 2020, Chris played his first game in the Bundesliga, Germany's top league. Bayern won 3–1 against Freiburg. On September 18, he played his first game of the 2020–21 Bundesliga season against Schalke 04. His first start for Bayern was on October 4 against Hertha BSC. In that game, he helped set up a goal for Robert Lewandowski in a thrilling 4–3 win.
On November 25, 2020, Chris made his debut in the UEFA Champions League. This is Europe's biggest club competition. Bayern won 3–1 against Red Bull Salzburg. He was replaced in the 79th minute by Javi Martínez.
Loan to Hoffenheim
On February 1, 2021, Chris joined another Bundesliga team, TSG Hoffenheim. He played for them on loan for the rest of that season. He later returned for another loan spell.
Joining Crystal Palace
Chris Richards signed a five-year contract with Premier League club Crystal Palace on July 27, 2022. He moved from Bayern Munich for about €12 million. This was a big move to play in England's top league.
International Career: Playing for the USA
In January 2018, Chris was invited to a special camp for young U.S. national team players. In May 2018, he played his first game for the United States U20 team against Honduras.
In November 2018, Chris was called up for the 2018 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. He played in two of the final matches, including the final game. The U.S. U20 team won the championship 2–0 against Mexico. In May 2019, he was chosen to be part of the 21-player squad for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Chris played in all five of the U.S. team's matches in that tournament. This included an exciting 3–2 win against the strong France team.
He got his first call-up to the senior United States squad in November 2020. He made his debut as a substitute against Panama. Chris scored his first goal for his country on June 18, 2023. He scored the first goal in the U.S.'s 2–0 win against Canada in the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League final.
Personal Life
Chris Richards' father, Ken Richards, was also an athlete. He played college basketball at Birmingham–Southern College. Later, he played basketball professionally in countries like Australia, Bolivia, and Iceland.
Honors: Awards and Trophies
Bayern Munich
- UEFA Super Cup: 2020
- DFL-Supercup: 2020, 2021
United States U20
- CONCACAF U-20 Championship: 2018
United States
- CONCACAF Nations League: 2022–23, 2023–24
Individual Awards
- IFFHS Men's World Youth (U20) Team: 2020
- CONCACAF Nations League Finals Best XI: 2023
See also
- In Spanish: Chris Richards para niños
