It’s been a memorable 12-month period for Crystal Palace and Chris Richards. Richards did not feature on Wednesday but the Eagles captured a first-ever European trophy by defeating Spanish side Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in the UEFA Conference League Final. The U.S. men’s national team defender returned to training on Tuesday and was not risked by manager Oliver Glasner ahead of upcoming international duty on home soil. The result marked Crystal Palace’s third trophy win in a one-year span, which also featured triumphs in the English FA Cup and FA Community Shield. It also sealed the Eagles’ spot in next season’s UEFA Europa League competition, a tournament they originally thought they would be in after winning the FA Cup last May. Jean-Philippe Mateta’s 51st minute goal proved to be the deciding moment as the French international finished off a rebound in the box. Adam Wharton’s long-range shot was saved by Rayo Vallecano’s Augusto Batalla but Mateta readjusted his feet and pounced on the loose ball. CRYSTAL PALACE OPEN THE SCORING WITH A BOOM Jean-Philippe Mateta pounces on the rebound to make it 1-0! pic.twitter.com/DZWguh3Wgc— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 27, 2026Dean Henderson was only troubled once in the match, registering a clean sheet in the victory. As for Richards, Wednesday’s trophy lift capped off a 50-appearance season for the USMNT stalwart, which marked a career-best in a single campaign. He will now enjoy a slight celebration before flying into Atlanta for the USMNT’s pre-World Cup camp. The USMNT will take on Senegal and Germany in their final tuneups before facing off with Paraguay in their World Cup opener on June 12.