USMNT's Chris Richards in European final, will miss start of U.S. World Cup prep

U.S. men's national team defender Chris Richards will miss the start of World Cup training camp after Crystal Palace advanced to the UEFA Conference League final with a 2-1 win (5-2 on aggregate) over Shakhtar Donetsk on May 7. The final is scheduled for May 27 in Leipzig, Germany, the same day U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino begins World Cup preparations in the Atlanta area. Crystal Palace will face Rayo Vallecano in the final after the Spanish club defeated Strasbourg in the other semifinal.