- Chris Richards’ rubber chicken “Paxo” — picked up after Crystal Palace’s Conference League win — has joined his parents at the World Cup, providing a quirky mascot moment for the U.S. team.
- On the field Richards has been outstanding, helping the U.S. to a clean sheet and completing 97.8% of his passes so far — one of the best rates for a player with 100+ attempts since 1966.
- His story is a great comeback: from Birmingham, Ala., to Bayern and Crystal Palace, he fought back from an ankle injury and a missed 2022 World Cup to become the anchor of the U.S. defense.
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