United States men's national team and Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards praised the latest wave of Americans moving to the Premier League and the Championship, noting that the leagues are tapping "into our [American] pipeline." Over the summer, 19-year-old Real Salt Lake midfielder Zavier Gozo joined Richards in the Premier League with Crystal Palace, meanwhile the likes of Max Arfsten, Jack Mc Glynn, Sebastian Berhalter, Luca Bombino and Rokas Pukstas moved to the Championship.

"They see that we have some hardworking guys and some guys with talent, and so they kind of tapped into our pipeline and brought players over," said the defender. "For us, it's very exciting because I think the Prem, or at least the English Football League in general, is the best setup in the world, and it's the toughest."

Richards highlighted that fans in England are appreciating American players. "You see people in the crowds wearing U.S. jerseys now. So I think it's really cool to have seen the kind of the development and the respect that us Americans have gotten over the last few years in the Premier League," Richards said. Gozo, meanwhile, said he was excited about claiming his first-ever opportunity with the senior national team at 19.

Gozo is one of 13 call-ups that could claim a national team debut in the fall international break that includes friendlies against Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Canada. With numerous key figures being given a rest, no player within the latest roster is over the age of 30.