This is a tricky one. The problem is that he's certainly in out top 2 or 3 right now. So its hard to sit him. But players age differently. Some guys have a more gradual decline and others play at a high level then fall off big time. You just never know. IMO you gotta continue to use Ream as long as he is showing well for Fulham but you also have to use other younger guys to ensure their development in the event that Ream is one of those guys who falls off a cliff in the future. The good news is that as long as he's getting full playing time with Fulham we'll have a solid idea of how he is aging. But as an old dude I am pulling like heck for him!
Indeed. We have two tournaments to win this summer. Whether Ream is going to make it to WC 2026 is irrelevant at this stage. Particularly since the current coach isn't the one who'll be making those decisions. I also really like the leadership qualities that Ream brings. Even when he starts fading down the pecking order, I'd like to keep him involved.
I have to agree. I foresee Ream being a good mentor for that next guy coming up. And, we’ll need a lot of depth this summer to get through. And at a minimum, he could still be a strong candidate for the Copa Americas next year.
I see Ream forcing someone to beat him out and then helping that guy anyway he can and then becoming a coach as soon as he retires.
Just hit me how close Copa America 2024 is. Roster selection will be 13-14 months from now. My money is on Ream to make that roster, barring injury. Off topic for this thread, but ... Tick tock, US Soccer. We need a manager!
Quite a few CBs have been able to play into their late 40s. Not trying to lump Ream in as the same quality as the names that come to mind were/are world class players, but just his potential to stay a top option for us. Start him as long as he is a top option (accounting for rotation here and there).
Assuming you meant late 30s? Even early 40s is extremely rare at a high level. A quick search on Transfermarkt pulled up only 4 CBs over the past 30 years in top 5 leagues: Hilton (Ligue 1), Costacurta, Maldini, and Pietro Vierchowod (Serie A). If you expand that search to comparable teams from other leagues, Pepe (Porto) is the only real addition there. But Ream will be 38 in the next World Cup. That's slightly less rare, particularly in Italy which has had a decent number of CBs retire around that age over the past 30 years. So I suppose it's possible, albeit unlikely.
T-he question is is he similar to those who can still play at that age. Has anyone become better than he is and especially have two or more. If he plays does he still fit stylistically? I say he has a good chance because the US has athletic players to put around that make up for his major weakness.
Ream seems a bit too old to expect him to keep it up all the way through 2026, but I do have to wonder if players today who train harder and pay more attention to things like diet and keeping themselves super fit all year round will mean guys will start to last a bit longer. Not sure though as I could see it balanced out by having to compete with stronger, faster athletes in general so that even a more moderate drop off could still be difficult to overcome as the years pile up. Either way, if you keep relying on him, there will need to be a really solid backup plan in case of a sudden and rapid decline. Sometimes when a guy starts to drop off it happens quickly. You don't want to have him be a guy you can't replace and then sometime in 2025 you start to see it all go wrong. Usually, guys who rely on athleticism burn out more quickly than guys who rely more on skill so maybe Ream will last longer than most. But he'll be really getting up there for a World Cup where the games come fast and furious with little rest. Either way, it would be wise to make sure a decent replacement gets some minutes and is ready to step right in if necessary.
We've been seeing this in all sports for a number of years now. Just way more knowledge out there on fitness, better facilities, and better trainers. Look at the NFL playoffs in 2021. 5 QBs started in those playoffs that were 37 or older.
Indeed. The question here is really whether Richards, Miles, CCV, EPB, Trusty, McKenzie, and others rise up to displace him. And there's the next generation after that led by Jalen Neal and Josh Wynder. I don't have much doubt that Ream can hang on for a couple of years. Athleticism isn't his calling card right now as it is.
Barring injury, looks like he def got that one right. Totally crazy how he's still peforming despite being close to 40. Are there any other starting centerbacks for any top 20 nation that's over 35 years old?
Don't know about currently. But at the last World Cup, there were 3: Uruguay's Diego Godin (36), Brazil's Thiago Silva (38), and Portugal's Pepe (39). It's been getting a little more common over time. In 2014, there were two (Belgium's Daniel van Buyten (36) and Colombia's Mario Yepes (37)), in 2010, there was one (Italy's Fabio Cannavaro), in 2006 there was one older CB on a World Cup roster, but he didn't play (Mexico's Claudio Suarez), and in 2002 there were 0 CBs over the age of 35.
The World Cup is a young man's game. Ream's a great passer. Mentally, he is our best defender, but I think he is a defensive liability. Teams will target him. I think it's a mistake to start him.
I don’t know why he was in no man’s land often against Belgium. And I didn’t get the sense he was organizing or really being a leader. These are areas he should be fine with, but lacking for me. Never mind his diminished wheels. Pick a poison and swallow it, already. Live with the consequences, but stop playing tentative.
The opposing teams will look for vulnerabilities in the defense and exploit them. This is not some mysterious puzzle. Maybe he'll be able to overcome the attention? I don't know. It's risky.
Yeah. Even Richards has off games and will still improve. Twenty years ago we had no idea the CB and keeper would be our weak links.
Yes, I know. We are not in a strong position in central defense. There is no perfect or easy solution. We have to consider what each opponent will try to do and try to negate it. Ream has been great. I do not expect him to make a bad decision. I do not expect him to make a bad pass. I do not expect him to be caught out of position. Those are great qualities. However, if I am the opposing coach, I am looking to draw Ream a little up field and get behind him -- either dribble him or hit a through ball or chip him and then go through on goal. Once I get behind him, I will be a couple of steps ahead and he does not have the recovery speed to stop me. Sure, the attackers can get behind ANY of the defenders, but the others are younger and faster and might be able to recover. Ream is 38 and 1/2 years old. He was never the fastest player. Poch and his staff will consider all the risks and make the best available choice. We as fans can debate.
I've seen this sentiment stated over and over for a few years (probably). Richards has his own weaknesses still in 2026. He's the best we've got, and he will continue to improve with further experience (he's still only 26), but I think a lot of people overstate Richards' play. I don't have faith that he'll come out of the WC unscathed, but I DO have confidence that he won't be judged as poorly as Zimmerman was in 2022.
Well I concur with what you said. But still I think Richards is as solid a CB as we have. Yes he has weaknesses but he's way way less mistake prone than anybody else on our depth chart. My whole point is that people keep saying Ream shouldn't be on the roster or for sure not playing this summer but the alternatives aren't any better. And, IMO, if you factor in experience and passing he's my starter.
Watching the recap rather than the whole match isn’t a good way to evaluate a defender. But boy oh boy did Ream look terrible on the 2nd Nashville goal.