The United States’ Patrick Agyemang, left, and Saudi Arabia’s Abdulelah Alamri battle to get to the balll during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match on Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Saudi Arabia’s Abdulelah Alamri (4) moves the ball past United States’ Patrick Agyemang (24) during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Saudi Arabia’s Nawaf Alaqidi (1) blocks a shot on goal by United States’ Alex Freeman, left, during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Saudi Arabia’s Firas Alburaikan (9) and United States’ Tim Ream (13) battle for control of the ball during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Saudi Arabia’s Nawaf Alaqidi (1) dives past United States’ Patrick Agyemang (24) to block the ball during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
United States’ Patrick Agyemang (24) leaps between Saudi Arabia’s Abdulelah Alamri (4) and Ali Majrashi (26) and heads the ball towards the goal during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
United States’ Matt Freese (25) leaps to block the ball against Saudi Arabia during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Saudi Arabia’s Ali Alhassan (6) leaps for a pass during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match against the United States, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Saudi Arabia’s Abdulrahman Aloboud (24) and United States’ Alex Freeman, right, scramble for the ball during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Saudi Arabia’s Firas Alburaikan (9) works the ball against the United States during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
United States’ Patrick Agyemang, left, and Saudi Arabia’s Ziyad Aljohani, right, battle for control of the ball during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
United States’ Sebastian Berhalter (8) is grabbed by Saudi Arabia’s Ziyad Aljohani, left, during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Saudi Arabia’s Nawaf Alaqidi (1) and Abdulelah Alamri (4) look to block a shot by United States’ Chris Richards, left, during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
U.S. defender Chris Richards celebrates after scoring during the second half of their CONCACAF Gold Cup match against Saudi Arabia on Thursday night in Austin, Texas. The Americans held on for a 1-0 win in the Group D match, which secured their spot in the quarterfinals. (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
United States’ Chris Richards (3) celebrates his goal against Saudi Arabia during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
U.S. defender Chris Richards celebrates after scoring during the second half of their CONCACAF Gold Cup match against Saudi Arabia on Thursday night in Austin, Texas. The Americans held on for a 1-0 win in the Group D match, which secured their spot in the quarterfinals. (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
Fans celebrate after United States’ Chris Richards scores against Saudi Arabia during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
United States’ Patrick Agyemang (24) and Saudi Arabia’s Ali Alhassan (6) chase a pass during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Saudi Arabia’s Ali Majrashi (26) reacts after an injury during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match against the United States, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
United States’ Alex Freeman (16) is tripped up by Saudi Arabia’s Abdulrahman Aloboud (24) during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Saudi Arabia’s Abdulrahman Aloboud (24) moves the ball past United States’ Alex Freeman (16) during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Saudi Arabia’s Abdulrahman Aloboud (24) leaps over United States’ Diego Luna (10) as he keeps control of the ball during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
United States’ Damion Downs (9) leaps over Saudi Arabia’s Saud Abdulhamid (12) for the ball during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Saudi Arabia’s Abdulelah Alamri (4) is consoled by teammate Nawaf BuWashl (13) after their loss to the United States in a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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The United States’ Patrick Agyemang, left, and Saudi Arabia’s Abdulelah Alamri battle to get to the balll during a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match on Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
AUSTIN, Texas — Defender Chris Richards scored with a flick of the ball off a second-half free kick to lift the United States to a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia on Thursday night, sending the Americans on to the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals.
Richards tracked the ball as it flew into the box on a curving free kick from Sebastian Berhalter in the 62nd minute to tap the ball with his left foot 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 on Thursday in Houston, clinched a knockout berth for the Americans, who improved to 42-1-5 in group play. The U.S. has won its group in 16 of 17 Gold Cups, and closes Group D play on Sunday against Haiti in Arlington, Texas.
Mexico and Costa Rica have also clinched quarterfinal spots through their first two games.
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino stuck with the same lineup that produced a 5-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday, the first time he made no changes in consecutive matches since taking over the program last October. But playing against No. 58 Saudi Arabia, the 16th-ranked Americans showed little of the attack firepower they displayed against the No. 100 Soca Warriors.
The match saw few real chances on goal by either team. The Americans had just one shot in the first half. The highlight for the U.S. in the opening half was Richards sprinting 25 yards to cover for Alex Freeman’s mistake and make a sliding block of what was going to be a clean look by Abdulrahman Al Obud.
Matt Freese got his second consecutive start in goal for the U.S. and third in four matches as he appears to have displaced Matt Turner.
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.
Missing the tournament for the U.S. are regulars Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Gio Reyna, Antonee Robinson, Folarin Balogun and Sergiño Dest.
The U.S. has won the Gold Cup seven times since its inception in 1991, the most recent being in 2021, second to Mexico’s nine titles.
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