The U.S. men's national team isn't terribly deep at center back, and Alexi Lalas has questioned if one of the team's standard bearers at the position is good enough for the big stage.
Chris Richards has been in and out of Crystal Palace's lineup since he joined the Premier League side, with this season seeing him on the bench more often than not.
Richards was handed a rare start last week against Arsenal, but Palace was hammered 5-1 by Mikel Arteta's side.
“I guess it’s good news, bad news,” Lalas said on his "State of the Union" podcast. “Chris Richards finally getting on the field and it’s been a while, but getting his a-- kicked."
When he's been healthy, Richards has frequently been part of the USMNT's first-choice center back pairing in recent years. But the 24-year-old has often failed to convince, which has left Lalas unsure if he's the right man for the job.
“When it comes to Chris Richards, I have said time and time again, my jury still remains out as to whether he is the future for the USMNT,” the former USMNT center back said.
Richards has still yet to play under Mauricio Pochettino, as he was injured for the new USMNT coach's first games in October and benched for the team's two-leg Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal with Jamaica on November.
Pochettino may be seeing what Lalas is seeing, as the coach evaluates other options at center back like Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie, and Miles Robinson.
“I don’t think that he has been good enough. And I don’t think he is yet good enough where I’m comfortable going into a World Cup in 2026 with someone like Chris Richards,” Lalas said. “And again, if he’s not playing [for his club], it’s not a complete problem, but it is a problem.”