MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) 鈥 Ahead of the World Cup, Chris Richards has a new take on what makes America unique.
鈥淢aybe the TSA lines right now, that鈥檚 pretty American,鈥 the U.S. defender said Monday ahead of a World Cup warmup match against Portugal.
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Richards lives much of the year in London, where he plays for English club Crystal Palace. He arrived in the U.S. last week for a pair of national team friendlies in Atlanta.
His earlier take on what was uniquely American focused on food. During October friendlies in Texas and Colorado, he took teammates Cameron Carter-Vickers and Antonee Robinson, who grew up in England, to Chili’s Grill and Bar as part of a group with Tim Weah, Weston McKennie and Mark McKenzie, according to cbssports.com.
鈥淭he Triple Dipper you have to get but then I think it鈥檚 the endless chips and salsa, but then also there鈥檚 sports on TV and also the chocolate molten lava cake and it鈥檚 just like you鈥檙e sitting there and you鈥檙e looking at the ground, the tile,鈥 Richards was quoted as saying. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e like, this is beautiful. This is nostalgia. This is really America 鈥 I think that鈥檚 one of the things that makes us American 鈥 places like Chili鈥檚 are like a staple and I think they finally could have that stamp on their passport now that they鈥檝e had Chili鈥檚 so I was happy for them.鈥
France coach Didier Deschamps spoke of airport security ahead of Sunday’s friendly against Colombia at Landover, Maryland.
Speaking in a news conference ahead of Sunday鈥檚 clash with Colombia in Maryland, Deschamps revealed his shock at the rigorous protocols encountered upon arrival.
鈥淎t our arrival, we spent an incredible amount of time at the airport, with checks that I鈥檝e never seen in my life,鈥 the coach explained to reporters. 鈥淲e are adapting.鈥
___
AP soccer:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.