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Things haven t always been easy for USA international Chris Richards, but the 21-year-old centre-back has overcome financial setbacks, sporting rejection and racism to emerge as one of the Bundesliga s rising stars.
Born in Birmingham, Alabama in March 2000, Richards got his very first taste of soccer at the age of three or four, playing indoor games during day care sessions at a local gym. His father Ken had been a semi-professional basketball player, getting the chance to travel and play in countries including Iceland, Bolivia and Australia, but he quickly realised his son s passion involved moving the ball with his feet and not his hands.
Bundesliga | Chris Richards: Advancing through adversity on a fairy-tale rise
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Bundesliga | Chris Richards on his loan to Hoffenheim from Bayern Munich, idolising Jerome Boateng and fighting racism
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FRISCO, Texas – After selecting Nicky Hernandez and Colin Shutler in the first and second rounds of the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, FC Dallas took two FCD Academy graduates and an international player with its three third-round picks.
With its initial third-round selection, FC Dallas took forward Thibaut Jacquel 75th overall out of Campbell University. Born in Saverne, France, Jacquel was part of FC Metz’s academy before coming stateside to continue his development and pursue a degree in communications.
“He’s an interesting player,” said FC Dallas Director of Soccer Operations
Marco Ferruzzi. “He’s a goal-scorer and an international student who seemingly adapted well to domestic soccer. We’re going to see how he does, he’s got some nice traits in front of goal. His numbers speak for themselves with what he did at Campbell. He’ll be another exciting prospect in our camp.”
CLEMSON, S.C. Major League Soccer announced earlier today that Clemson midfielder Philip Mayaka has signed a Generation adidas contract. A native of Nairobi, Kenya, Mayaka is now eligible for selection in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, which is set to take place virtually on Jan. 21 at 2 p.m. This is the seventh time in program history and second consecutive year that Clemson has had a member of its program sign a Generation adidas contract.
Today’s announcement signals the end of Mayaka’s collegiate eligibility and means he will join his new club after being selected in the upcoming draft.
During his time at Clemson, Mayaka was named a 2019 MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist, second-team All-American, first-team All-South Region, first-team All-ACC, ACC Freshman of the Year, and was a member of the ACC’s All-Freshman team. Before the 2020 season, Mayaka earned preseason All-American honors from College Soccer News.