Yes. The US is failing to generate new back line talent. If there were four Chris Richards' in the pool, then Ream wouldn't be there. We had to take two overage centerbacks to the 2024 Olympics because there wasn't anybody other than Chris Richards (who wasn't released). The third CB on that team was Max Dietz, who is really a defensive midfielder. Tim's not just there, he's the captain. Everybody saw Tim making the squad from a million miles away. He's been captain at every camp of the Poch era. Every camp. There's a reason we're a second tier contender for the World Cup. Its because, like our brethren at that level, we have holes. Japan, Mexico, and such.
Tim Ream got his 81st cap yesterday. Tied with Tab Ramos. He's in legends only territory. With his next cap he draws even with Eddie Pope.............................. [2nd most capped active player after Pulisic, who has 85.]
Nothing new to add conceptually. Ream is a great story. Class act. A bit old. Etc. Here is a nice story in the Washington Post today. https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...ld-has-man-bun-could-be-key-world-cup-run-us/ Only 12 of the 1,250 or so players at this World Cup are older than Ream. He is about three months younger than Lionel Messi and nearly five years younger than Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon, the tournament’s oldest player. ... Ream is not here as a mascot, a sentimental holdover or, as he put it recently, “the old guy in the corner handing out orange slices.” He is here as the leader, an assignment that would have sounded unlikely four years ago and almost impossible before that. He joins a lineage of American World Cup captains that includes Tony Meola, Claudio Reyna and Clint Dempsey. Ream’s place in that succession is different. He is not the face of the program nor its most talented or celebrated player. He is the one Coach Mauricio Pochettino has come to trust.
He was REALLY good most of the night tonight, he was also primarily at fault for the Paraguay goal. All in all stock up I'd say but not totally out of the woods yet
Kind of wild that Ream has played for the USMNT under Bradley, Arena, Klinsmann, Berhalter, and Pochettino.
This is literally one of my all time favorite threads on bigsoccer. Some hilariously awful takes from people willing to die on a hill. I just did a thorough look back, I was grinning the whole time and shaking my head lol. SO uh............will the NEXT copa be Tim Ream's last hurrah? I say again..........As I have always said............it is Tim Ream's until he loses it to somebody else. If Trusty, McKenzie, Banks, dont take it........thats not tim reams fault.
Tim Ream. Warrior. Fantastic tonight. In the fullness of time, folks will stop the nonsense badmouthing Tim Ream.
MLS has already quadrupled the number of knockout round minutes compared to 2022.And thus far in every game of the knockout round in which MLS players have featured, the team that fielded more MLS players advanced.Makes you think. https://t.co/HsLsnYjDDW— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) July 2, 2026
Are there legitimate candidates to take his starting role? At this point, I could almost see him holding the position until 2028 Copa. Other than Banks and/or a career resurrection from someone like CCV, who's in line to take it from him anytime soon?
I think motivation would be hard for both him and country there. This is his last big rodeo and I think that's how it should be. Just my 2 cents. Having nothing else to add to all that's been said, he's earned my apology, a real rock, player's player type.
The odd thing is, he’s only been “MLS good” the past season and a half. IMO he was MLS great in 2024, but not anymore. If he plays in Copa 2028 his club team might be Sacramento or Louisville, joking/not joking
If Charlotte do anything stupid Bruce Arena will be on him like a hobo on a ham sandwich with assurances of a coaching position afterwards
I always struggle with evaluating CBs because so much of what hits them on defense is determined by things they do away from one on one situations or how their teammates perform. One example has been Cincinnati this year; Miles hasn't looked good but that team's defense is terrible because they have two guys simply not defending at all. No one looks good 11 on 9. I don't know what you want CBs to do when the other team is playing with two extra men. Ream's an excellent decision maker. Pressing puts us in a situation where he and Zimmerman excelled last cycle -- lots of balls on the move without a ton of accuracy and you've got to be aggressive and cut them out. One of the reasons why he's played so well is how well he's attacking balls that get past the counterpress, which are being passed into his space rather than guys dribbling into space at him. If guys like McKennie and Tillman weren't attacking the passers so well, it might look completely different. And that's okay. We're not France, we're not really a team that can afford to simply put our guys into one on one battles and expect them to win basically all of them.
Oldest field players with more than 15 minutes played in this World Cup: 1. Cristiano Ronaldo - 41 2. Luka Modric - 40 3. Edin Dzeko - 40 4. Lionel Messi - 39 5. Tim Ream - 38 (Ream would be 9th overall if you include keepers. Neuer, Vozinha, Muslera, and Galindez would be ahead of him.)