USMNT's Richards, Turner become first Americans to win FA Cup since 2004 | OneFootball

Chris Richards and Matt Turner have become the first Americans to win an FA Cup in 21 years following Crystal Palace's 1-0 win in the final over Manchester City, with Richards playing a pivotal role.

Crystal Palace entered the match as heavy underdogs against Manchester City, which has been the pre-eminent side in the Premier League under Pep Guardiola. But it was the Eagles who broke the ice in the 16th minute with a beautiful counter-attack goal from Eberechi Eze. The Crystal Palace defense was able to hold up the rest of the way. City finished the game with 78% possession, 23 shots, and 2.3 expected goals. However, the equalizer never came, with Palace hanging on for the 1-0 victory.

Richards was a big part of Palace keeping the clean sheet against City.

Goalkeeper Dean Henderson was arguably the man of the match for the Eagles. He finished with six saves, including one on a penalty kick. However, Richards was also instrumental, working hard to get in the way of several Man City shot attempts. With Palace center back Marc Guehi subbing off in the 61st minute due to injury, Richards became even more important to Crystal Palace’s defensive efforts.

For Crystal Palace, it was a historic occasion, the club’s first major trophy. But it was also a historic achievement for American soccer. Richards became the first American to play for the winning side in an FA Cup final since Tim Howard won with Manchester United in 2004. The last time an American played in an FA Cup final was 2020 when Christian Pulisic scored for Chelsea before being forced off with an injury. Despite Pulisic’s goal, Chelsea ultimately lost that game to Arsenal 2-1.

Turner was on the bench for Palace during the FA Cup final. Turner didn’t play in the final, but he did contribute to Palace winning the trophy. Turner started third-round, fourth-round, and fifth-round FA Cup matches for the Eagles. He made nine saves and allowed just one goal across those three matches, helping Crystal Palace advance in the competition.

Both men also have MLS roots. Turner spent four-plus seasons as the New England Revolution No. before moving to Europe in the summer of 2022. Richards was in the FC Dallas academy before signing with Bayern Munich's youth setup.

Richards and Turner being part of a team to win the FA Cup is indeed a proud moment for the USMNT and American soccer. It’s always special when American players can win trophies in Europe. The fact that Richards was an integral part of Crystal Palace’s FA Cup final win over Manchester City makes the occasion all the more significant.