United States defender Chris Richards scored to seal a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia and confirm a place in the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-finals.
Crystal Palace defender Richards connected with a deep free-kick from Sebastian Berhalter to steer the ball past Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Nawaf Al Aquidi.
The win and the 1-1 draw between Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti in Group D’s other match in Houston clinched a knockout berth for the Americans.
With a win over 🇸🇦, the 🇺🇸 secured their spot in the quarterfinals! pic.twitter.com/IxsQ52Iz7Q
— Gold Cup (@GoldCup) June 20, 2025
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino stuck with the same lineup that produced a 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday, the first time he made no changes in consecutive matches since taking over last October.
The match, played before a crowd of 11,727 in a half-full Q2 Stadium in Austin, saw few real chances on goal by either team.
The Gold Cup represents the last competitive test for the Americans ahead of the 2026 World Cup. As co-host with Mexico and Canada, the U.S. is an automatic qualifier for the World Cup.
The Americans limped into the Gold Cup on a four-match losing streak that included a 4-0 rout by Switzerland in their final tune-up. And with many of the top players either sitting out this tournament for personal reasons, injuries or playing in the Club World Cup, Pochettino selected a roster full of relatively untested and unproven players.
Missing the tournament for the U.S. are regulars Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Gio Reyna, Antonee Robinson, Folarin Balogun and Sergio Dest.
