Only once before has an American side reached the World Cup quarter-finals. That was in 2002 when the Stars and Stripes squad also contained an Eagle – former Palace defender Gregg Berhalter.
Now, 24 years on, Richards and his peers can take back to the last eight, this time as a host nation. It's a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the proud American.
And he has enjoyed every moment of their run to this stage so far. He also revealed that he isn't about to start worrying about the opposition, even as he comes up against a Belgian attack that could feature the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Jeremy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne.
“It’s fun frustrating the other team’s attacking players,” Richards told the Telegraph. “I kind of grew my hair out so I could win some more headers or throw people off!
"I love tough tackles, I love shoulder to shoulders, I love headers, I love all that stuff.
"It’s always good to respect players, but I don’t fear any players.”
