CHRIS RICHARDS

American soccer success on the world stage remains a dream.

Gio Reyna, Joe Scally and Yusuf Musah were 11 years old the last time the United States took the field in a World Cup match.

USMNT center back Chris Richards announced he's been ruled out of the 2022 World Cup. Here's what that means for the Americans' defense.

With Weston McKennie now a question mark for the World Cup, the USMNT's midfield reserves might have to step up, Doug McIntyre writes.

Christian Pulisic and Ricardo Pepi will join the U.S. starting lineup for the Americans’ last World Cup warmup against Saudi Arabia after coach Gregg Berhalter admitted “we got our butts kicked” by Japan last week.

Gregg Berhalter’s U.S. roster as the World Cup approaches is as notable for its absences as for those set to play in Friday’s warmup against Japan at Düsseldorf, Germany.

Bayern Munich midfielder Malik Tillman is switching affiliation from Germany to the United States and is among 27 players invited to the Americans’ next-to-last training camp ahead of the World Cup.

Gio Reyna, Jordan Pefok and Ethan Horvath are back for the United States’ final World Cup qualifiers but Sergiño Dest appears likely to miss the three games.

FIFA has dismissed a protest filed by the Jamaica Football Federation over its 1-1 draw with the United States in a World Cup qualifier on Nov. 16. In a 34-point, eight-page decision, FIFA's disciplinary committee said Jamaica failed to notify the match commissioner of the protest and failed to make a payment of 1,000 Swiss francs (then $1,075) to accompany the protest. Jamaica said Costa Rican referee Juan Gabriel Calderón improperly failed to call a hand ball in the first half, when Reggae Boyz claimed Chris Richards should have been penalized for a ball that struck him in the penalty area.

Christian Pulisic was benched as U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter changed seven starters for a World Cup qualifier against Honduras in chilly St. Paul, where the temperature at kickoff was 3 degrees (minus-16 Celsius) with a minus-14 windchill.

The U.S. team has embraced the cold during this special winter session of World Cup qualifying play.

Antonee Robinson broke through the freeze in the air and the U.S. offense, scoring in the 52nd minute to lift the United States over El Salvador 1-0 and kept the Americans on track for a return to the World Cup.

Jamaica U.S. WCup Soccer United States' players warm up during a training session ahead of the World Cup 2022 qualifying soccer match against Jamaica in Kingston, Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) (Fernando Llano)KINGSTON, Jamaica — (AP) — Defender Chris Richards and midfielder Gianluca Busio entered the U.S. lineup for Tuesday night’s match at Jamaica as the Americans started their second-youngest lineup ever in a World Cup qualifier. The pair replaced defender Miles Robinson, suspended for a red card, and midfielder Weston McKennie, suspended for yellow card accumulation. Right back Javain Brown, central defender Liam Moore and midfielder Lamar Walker also entered the lineup. Holdovers included goalkeeper Andre Blake, central defender Damion Lowe, left back Kemar Lawrence, midfielders Je-Vaughn Watson and Damion Lowe, and wingers Bobby Decordova-Reid and Leon Bailey.

Defender Chris Richards and midfielder Gianluca Busio entered the U.S. lineup for a match at Jamaica as the Americans started their second-youngest lineup ever in a World Cup qualifier.

DÜSSELDORF, Germany — (AP) — Making a mark in German soccer is far from easy for any player, even more so at perennial champion Bayern Munich. United States center back Chris Richards is adapting well to life in Europe, though, and has become a regular starter on loan at Hoffenheim. He's already eyeing a place in parent club Bayern's first team next season on a squad that's among the most competitive anywhere. “With a team like Bayern, you never really know how close you are to the first team or how close you are to making the starting 11,” Richards said last week. Returning to Bayern next season would pit him against some of the best defenders in Europe for scarce starting spots.

United States center back Chris Richards is adapting well to life in Europe and has become a regular starter on loan at Hoffenheim.

DÜSSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Making a mark in German soccer is far from easy for any player, even more so at perennial champion Bayern Munich. United States center back Chris Richards is adapting well to life in Europe, though, and has become a regular starter on loan at Hoffenheim. “With a team like Bayern, you never really know how close you are to the first team or how close you are to making the starting 11,” Richards said last week.

WCup Jamaica US Soccer Jamaica's Tyreek Magee (21) and United States' Tyler Adams (4) compete for control of the ball during a FIFA World Cup qualifying soccer match, Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) (Eric Gay)COLUMBUS, Ohio — (AP) — Getting through the first six games of World Cup qualifying has taken a village for the United States. Twenty-nine players have started, five more than the American total during the 10 matches of the 2018 qualifying hexagonal. Tim Weah, 21, was making his second start on the wing when his shot led to the second goal against the Ticos. He switched six last month for the second match against Canada, five at Honduras and seven last week against Jamaica.

Getting through the first six games of World Cup qualifying has taken a village for the United States.

(Laurence Griffiths/Pool via AP)CHICAGO – Defender Bryan Reynolds received his first call-up to the U.S. national team after the 19-year-old made his debut for Roma last weekend. Chituru Odunze, an 18-year-old goalkeeper with Leicester, also could debut in exhibitions against Jamaica on March 25 at Wiener Neustadt, Austria, or three days later at Northern Ireland. Forward Matthew Hoppe, who has scored five goals for Schalke this season, was not called in for a possible debut. Germany), Luca de la Torre (Heracles, Netherlands), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy), Yunus Musah (Valencia, Spain), Owen Otasowie (Wolverhampton, England). Forwards: Daryl Dike (Barnsley, England), Nicholas Gioacchini (Caen, France), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea, England), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen, Germany), Tim Weah (Lille, France).

Nicholas Gioacchini and Sebastian Soto each scored their first two international goals in a 6-2 exhibition rout of Panama on Monday night at Wiener Neustadt, Austria, the second of two matches for the Americans that followed a 10-month pandemic break. Gio Reyna got his first goal three days after his 18th birthday, the third-youngest player to score in modern era. Sebastian Lletget also got a goal in a physical, open match against a CONCACAF rival that reached the 2018 World Cup over the Americans. By the time qualifying comes we'll be ready to compete.”José Fajardo scored his first two goals for Panama. The U.S. has used 90 players since the October 2017 defeat at Trinidad and Tobago that eliminated the Americans from the 2018 World Cup, including 52 debuting.