The news out of the USMNT camp ahead of Sunday’s friendly against Senegal isn't exactly great. Chris Richards will not play Sunday, and his status going into Germany on the 6th is still undecided.
After suffering torn ankle ligaments playing for Crystal Palace on May 17th, the 26-year-old center-back was ruled out of the Senegal clash as he tries to recover.
Mauricio Pochettino said that after Richards arrived, "I was asking from yesterday...(assistant) Jesús (Pérez) 100 times: What do you think?" Fans won't like the answer. "The answer was ‘wait, wait, wait, wait.’ Yes, it's too early. We need to see. The next few days are going to be key to see [if he'll] be ready or not for the World Cup." Excuse me? Wasn't the reason that Tanner Tessman was left off due to him not being fully fit? Now the United States’ most reliable defender is entering a home World Cup at far less than 100%.
The decision to leave Tanner Tessmann off the 26-man roster looks less like a calculated risk and more like a tactical gaffe. If Pochettino was willing to roll the dice with Richards, who may not even be ready to play in the World Cup, why not Tessman?
The domino effect of a patchwork defense
When a team loses its anchor at center-back, and make no mistake, Richards is the anchor, the immediate response is usually to protect the player who has to step in and take his place. You shield the backline with a great midfield. You drop a dedicated defensive midfielder like Tyler Adams right in front of the center-backs to break up counterattacks and alleviate pressure. But what happens if Tyler Adams goes down?
By leaving Tessmann at home, Pochettino has essentially removed his own safety net.
Currently, the USMNT midfield depth chart consists of Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Sebastian Berhalter, and Cristian Roldan. Beyond Adams, there is not a single dedicated, natural holding midfielder on the roster. While Berhalter and Roldan have a lot of domestic experience, neither is really a physical, ball-winning player. And that leaves the backline open, especially if the US sends McKennie into the box as an attacking player.
With Richards out, the burden shifts to a roster built from the back forward.
Who can play in Chris Richards' spot?
If Richards can't go in the World Cup, which is now a real possibility, Mauricio Pochettino has no shortage of options thanks to naming 10 defenders to his roster.
If the US decides to play with a back 3, veteran Tim Ream probably leads the charge on the backline. Beside the 38-year-old CB will be 2 of Auston Trusty, Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson, Alex Freeman, or Joe Scally.
Scally provides a lot of versatility as he has played as a wingback and a true fullback. But slotting him as a CB, a place he doesn't play regularly, is not ideal, same for Freeman. Trusty, McKenzie, and Robinson offer a more natural fit, but the speed of Ream makes it risky against teams who push the pace.
If the US shift to a back 4, Ream is still probably option number 1 and things get trickier. McKenzie started against Belgium, while Trusty started against Portugal in the next game. But those two games saw the US give up 7 total goals.
No option is ideal if Chris Richards can't go.
But it also makes the Tessmann omission potentially disastrous. Despite picking up a minor muscle injury in early May and sitting for Lyon, Tessmann provided a massive, physical presence who can really break up play and shield the backline. He showed well in the opportunities leading up to the injury and was reportedly ready to go for the World Cup.
As the USMNT prepares to face Senegal without Richards, it's not just the CB position that is a worry. Pochettino gambled that his defense was stable enough to survive without a backup No. 6. Chris Richards' left ankle may have just called his bluff.
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