Saudi Arabia 0-1 USA Player Ratings: Chris Richards rated 8.5/10 as USA secured a spot in the Gold Cup Quarterfinals

The Matchweek 2 fixtures of Group D in the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2025 took place in the Q2 Stadium in Texas. Saudi Arabia kick-started their Gold Cup campaign with a win over Haiti in their maiden game of the Gold Cup. USA, on the other hand, had been one of the most successful teams in the competition, and they began their campaign with a 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in their opening game. After Haiti and Trinidad played a draw, all eyes were on this encounter. A win for either team would have guaranteed them a spot in the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-finals.

Saudi Arabia is ranked 58th, whereas the USA is ranked 3 times higher than the Arab giants.

Mauricio Pochettino's side has not been a great form recently. This tournament offered the former Tottenham Hotspur gaffer the opportunity to redeem himself and help his side win the tournament on their home soil.

Herve Renard's Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, were the debutants of the Gold Cup.

The match started with both team exerting their dominance from the first minute itself. Despite both teams coming so close to scoring, the match ended in a goalless draw in the first half. After the hour mark, US defender Chris Richards found the back of the net in the 63rd minute to help his side secure a lead. Saudi tried to find the equaliser, but it seemed as if it was too late to etch a comeback in this game.

Here are the player ratings from Saudi Arabia vs the USA

Saudi Arabia National Football Team Player Ratings

Goalkeeper

Nawaf Alaqidi - 7/10

The Arabian goalkeeper made a solitary save and 3 recoveries in the first half to protect Saudi's clean sheet against the USA.

Defenders

Abdullah Madu - 6.5/10

Madu was not only a defensive stalwart, but also won a lot of hearts after he contributed immensely with his runs from the right flank.

Abdulelah Al Amri - 7.5/10

A rock solid presence in the heart of Saudi's defence, Al Amri's no-nonsense defending saw Saudi dominating in their own D box.

Saud Abdulhamid - 7/10

The Arabian left-back competes in the Italian top flight for AS Roma. He had a decent game tonight and was also a menace in the left flank of the pitch.

Midfielders

Ali Majrashi - 7.5/10

Majrashi was constantly seen swapping roles between defensive midfield and centre back. He did a brilliant job tonight to keep the American strikers at bay.

Nawaf Al Boushail - 7/10

Nawaf made a total of 4 defensive actions in the first half and also offered defensive stability from the centre of the park.

Ali Al Hassan - 6/10

Not a very impressive performance in the midfield tonight from Al Hassan as he looked feeble in front of the American midfield.

Ziyad Aljohani - 6.5/10

Ziyad had a decent game tonight. He had 18 touches, and his pinpoint crosses were crucial to navigate attacks.

Forwards

Abdulrahman Al Obood - 6.5/10

The Saudi striker played well to constantly be a threat in front of the American defence.

Firas Al Buraikan - 6/10

Al Buraikan failed to impress tonight in front of the goal as the American defenders outmuscled him.

Ayman Ahmed - 6/10

Ayman was totally ineffective in front of the goal tonight and had a lacklustre display of football.

Substitutes -

SUB - Sheikh - 6.5/10

SUB - Al Shehri - 6/10

Al Shehri was brought to boost the attacking prowess of Saudi, but he failed miserably to make any real impact in the game.

SUB - Al Sahafi - 6/10

Al Sahafi's inclusion in the pitch for the last 15 minutes hardly made any difference as the American defence was too good to be beaten.

SUB - Al Salem - 6/10

Manager

Herve Renard - 7/10

Herve Renard's plans were executed well tonight, but it was unfortunate to concede the first goal in the match.

USA National Football Team Player Ratings

Goalkeeper

Matt Freese - 6.5/10

The American custodian made a solitary save in the first half and also had 5 recoveries.

Defenders

Alex Freeman - 7/10

Alex made 1 recovery and 2 clearances in the first half and was nothing less than a menace on the right flank tonight.

Chris Richards - 8/10

Chris Richards had a total of 4 defensive actions in the first 45 minutes, which included a block and 3 clearances as well. He also scored the first goal of the match.

Tim Ream - 7.5/10

The American centre back did a fantastic job of keeping the Saudi strikers at bay and preventing them from making any further damage.

Max Arfsten - 7.5/10

The best player on the pitch for the United States football team. Arfsten made all those accelerated runs from the left flank of the pitch to help his side initiate attacks.

Midfielders

Sebastian Berhalter - 6.5/10

Sebastian did a commendable job of offering defensive stability to his team from the middle of the park by helping the team to track down during transition play.

Luca de la Torre - 7/10

His passing accuracy was beyond average in the first half. His pinpoint accurate passes were crucial as the USA dominated the midfield throughout.

Jack McGlynn - 6.5/10

McGlynn had a total of 39 passes in the first 45 minutes. He had a decent game tonight.

Diego Luna - 6.5/10

Diego had a decent game tonight in the midfield, but couldn't contribute much in the attack.

Malik Tilman - 6/10

Tilman also had an off day in the office as he was hardly seen making any real impact to penetrate the Saudi defence tonight.

Forwards

Patrick Agyemang - 6/10

Despite the midfield creating enough opportunities for the home team to score a goal, Agyemang had a poor game tonight.

Substitutes -

SUB -Adams - 7/10

Adams navigated the midfield brilliantly. Despite repetitive attacks from Saudi to push for an equaliser, Adams kept his cool and was handling the pressure with ease.

SUB - Downs - 6.5/10

He was brought in minutes after USA took the lead. He did well to keep pushing further to double the lead.

SUB - Aaronson - 6.5/10

SUB - Robinson - 6.5/10

SUB - Cardoso - 7/10

Manager

Mauricio Pochettino - 7/10

The former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino did a good job executing his strategies, but his forwards let him down in the first half after the USA failed to score.

Sportsdunia Player of the match goes to Chris Richards.