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38 Comments
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I would rather see Ream than Long.
This Tim Ream snub is even more incredible now with the injuries to CCV & Richards. Two more CBs out and he calls up EPB and McKenzie to replace them. Nothing against those guys, but the disrespect is insane
Ream is in good form and Long is in poor form so Ream absolutely deserves to get a look
Back in October last year, before the Jamaica qualifying match, Tim Ream withdrew from the squad for "family reasons". I don't doubt that there were real family reasons, but what I'm wondering now is whether or not it affected his relationship with Berhalter.
Would love to see ream
Very well put together video. I think he should be in Quatar even if it's just as a backup. I'm sorry but I just don't rate Zimmerman that highly. He does fine in Conacaf but I don't trust him against REAL talent. And since when is only playing a high line the only way to play? GGG has the dumbest ideas sometimes. Playing a high line sounds like a good way to get burned in the WC.
Team isn’t a snub, he doesn’t deserve to be there.
Sports should always be a meritocracy. GGG should select the best players, and place them in a system that uses their strengths.
We have seen this "in form gets call ups" song and dance before.
Ream over long
He is too slow
Alejandro zendejas forsure
Look, I was anti-Ream like many, and for good reason.
Fulham weren’t playing him in the Prem and he looked terrible vs. Mexico.
But I live by the principle that actions matter and he has defied what most of us thought.
I think he definitely deserves a call up. I’ve been convinced.
Although I still think he’s somewhat defensively leaky. Fulham have scored a lot but they’ve also conceded a lot.
And a lot of those goal against we’re due to Ream getting beaten, but then again, he’s playing against the top of the top so it’s not really a surprise or anything that would make me change my mind. Because I know none of the other CBS save for Richards could probably do better.
The least he deserved was a call up. If he still doesn't fit "the system", and don't even get me started on my anger for those statements, then at least you can say you tried, but to not take him feels like just disregarding one of the highest level center backs we have ever had in the American pool.
He may also be a case of a player who plays better with club than with nation. We all know some players play well on both teams, but some guys just play much better for either club or nation. Maybe since he's such a positional player, he plays better at club because they have a more well practiced system and he has a better idea of where him and his teammates will be at any given moment.
Well not sure I would be thrilled seeing Ream as one of our center backs but with Miles Robinson unfit to play our whole high press 4-3-3 system is precarious and the idea that Aaron Long is not only looking like he'll be on the roster even though he's having at best a sub par season but is actually looking like he might start is insane. We already have seen John Brooks be tossed for his lack of speed and his "attitude" but you called it correctly here, he regularly plays with Jedi Robinson on the left side so having him available especially when we have the lead and hopefully have the good sense to drop into a low block later in a match to get a win or a tie and the points to advance out of group play is clear.
Look our central defense is clearly our weak point and this go round we have real questions about out goalkeeper's heath and form and we face both Wales and England so having someone who day in and day out actually plays against those players certainly makes a great deal of sense.,.. but in the end this is as much about our coach's stubborn commitment to ALWAYS PLAYING A HIGH PRESS HIGH LINE that makes thing difficult for whomever we use in central defense and sticking stubbornly to two central defenders instead of using three at least at some point in a match plays into any side playing a counter attacking low block which is entirely to be expected from Wales… and let's be clear we've had troubles even in CONCACAF play against a low block so expecting our attack to score barrels of goals is fantasy that could give us ties instead of wins and getting out of group play is something I believe we can do but should never be taken for granted… we aren't Brazil and shouldn't believe we can easily out score anybody we face, look we aren't facing Martinique here and for all the talk of our midfield it has been our defense that we truly depended upon to qualify for the big dance.
Yes I support the NATs as I have done for decades now, but I am at best ambivalent about Berhalter and his "System"… I think we'd be better served by some sort of 3-5-2 over his slavish commitment to a 4-3-3… our pushing our wing fullbacks into the attack and never using either an attacking center mid or a second "shadow" striker… a satellite near the lone target striker in the box troubles me greatly and seeing twin box to box mid having to hold back to constantly cover for the high pressing wing fullbacks means we rarely have support for our lone (outnumbered) target striker in the box so our chances are limited and if the guy chosen is Jesus, well he simply is not a imposing physical specimen so long crosses from the flank against sides that are used to defending against said tactics isn't a winning strategy…
Can we get to the knock out round… we yes we should, but can we tie our selves into oblivion … that is a real legitimate concern at least for me… glad to see Sargent coming back into form but the lone striker in the box and Reyna being kept out on the wing still bothers me.
(ICE)
I'm okay with Ream being left off the roster. I appreciate the argument in the video but it falls into the trap of assuming club form carries into the natio nal team. Nobody was mentioning Tim Ream for the national team until this season.
The stats that were mentioned about counterpresses was interesting but the fact is Ream is still slow and isn't isolated and expected to cover for his FBs (like in the US).
Finally, what Ream brings already exists in Zimmerman – leadership, backline presence, decent ability on the ball – so it makes sense to leave Ream off. Ream is redundant and a slower, older version, less dominant in the air version of Zimmerman.
I honestly think Tim should start next to Zimmerman. I have only seen him beat for pace once, and it was because he miss judged the ball’s bounce. speed and fitness are not fixed attributes.
Yeah, it is. Pefok is a guy in his prime who is playing and producing very well in a position of chronic need for the MNT.
Ream, meanwhile, is an over the hill and incredibly slow CB who has consistently played poorly for the MNT since at least the home WCQ match against Costa Rica in 2017. And contrary to what ICS says at about the 1 minute mark, it's not down to just "one" mistake against Mexico- after all, he was constantly being beat by Corona and Lainez during that match. I remember calling it in the comment section over at Stars and Stripes FC when I saw his name in the starting XI: "There goes our chance at a clean sheet."
But that's not all. He performed poorly in the 2019 GC final against Mexico, making it twice that Ream has played for the MNT against a World Cup quality team and played a hand in us losing- he was picked on in that match for lack of pace as well. He performed poorly as a CB in our 2-0 loss to Canada in the Nations League. He was also at least partially responsible for goals scored against us post-COVID lockdown in friendlies against Panama, Jamaica, and Northern Ireland.
In fact, the only matches of the Berhalter era that can be pointed to in which Ream was actually decent are the friendly against a very disinterested Costa Rica right after the Nations League win against Mexico and the WCQ draw at El Salvador. Maybe you can also include the CNL games against Cuba. That's it, and it's not a lot, and it's not convincing whatsoever.
We've seen Ream plenty of times in a MNT shirt since his prime, and we have seen him do poorly while in the Red, White, and Blue. He's similar to Christian Roldan in that aspect: the American CR7 does very well for the Seattle Sounders, but is a completely different player- and NOT in a good way- for the MNT.
Besides, it would be downright HYPOCRITICAL of Berhalter to constantly refuse to call up John Brooks due to his supposed inability to play in a high line (it's almost like those CNL matches last summer didn't happen for Berhalter, I guess) among several other increasingly convenient "reasons" as time went on- up until this window, at least. Ream is even slower than Brooks, and not anywhere near as good as Brooks- and quite a few other American CB's- in the air.
Those problems won't change due to a system change either. Remember, we were a low- to midblock team in 2019. And I've already gone over how bad Ream was then, as well.
So you think he's good enough now for the Yanks after a small sample size's worth of good games playing for a low-block Fulham in the EPL, in spite of the much larger sample size of him doing poorly- or worse, not even playing at all- at that level?
I'll believe it when I see it.
GGGs confidence in Zimmerman, Long, Acosta and Arriola > EPB, McKenzie, Ream, Johnny, Busio, Tillman and Wright is why the USMNT wont reach R16
They need a "Gregg Berhalter is a football genius" flag like they had for David Moyes when he was at ManUre
Greg came in and got rid of all the old guys (Jozy, Guzan, and Bradley etc) and thinks he's gonna get to the semi-finals with mostly young, new, nobodies? Lol.
Never considered Tim Ream for the national team till this season!
Ream has been playing well, it really makes no sense and he's saying he wants to play a high line. You have to keep posession for that and I'm not sure our mid-field can boss games to maintain posession for long periods. I don't know what's going through his mind.
Geoff Cameron has superior stats to Long and Zimmerman in MLS.
He's fast. Very fast. Quickness might be different.
You’re right, it’s John Brooks.
No offense to Ream but Brooks is better than him in every category.
No way are Long, EPB, McKenzie, CCV better than Brooks.
Great evidence based argument for Team Ream. We'll never know why the coach does what he does. The truth doesn't come out until years later. Same with Brooks…Remember the Landon snubb? There's something going on and we're the last to know.
Definitely more upset about this than Pefok. It was already troubling knowing he’s the beloved captain at a well-performing Fulham in the Prem, but to prove Gregg even MORE wrong, you did this breakdown 😂 how do we get this video to Gregg’s desk? 🤔
Thing is against England we aren't playing a high pressing line and if we get out of group we won't press against any other team. Brooks and Ream and Zimm would be good group to pick the best two that are in form and then you bring in CCV and Richards to play the high press.
Die Hard Fulham and Dortmund fan here. I'm salivating at the thought of a left side of Jedi and Ream. Ream has been critical with his interceptions, he starts the build up for Fulham with his passing.
Imagine a Ream interception, pass and turn from Musuh/LDTR to stretch the field! That's what Fulham has been doing. Great video!
I want the USMNT to perform well in Qatar, but I more than that I want them to be scary good in the US in 2026. My take is to keep Tim Ream off the squad and let CCV/EPB/Sands/MCKenzie etc… get more national team minutes and World Cup exposure. Anything beyond the group stage in Qatar is a bonus, but anything short of the Quarters in 4 years will be a huge let-down.
I wish Gregg was fired before the World Cup. I’m sure he’ll be let go after the World Cup is over. Selfish coach just like Klinsmann was.
Ream has shown huge improvements in his play and should be on this squad. GGG reminds me of Steve Sampson, a guy who outsmarted himself and coached the US into a last place finish in the 1998 World Cup.
Ream has deficiencies… but what player doesn't? I have always been a fan of his, and have long wondered why not only GB, bur arena and JK didn't give him more opportunities. Until Robinson is back, and Richards is proven, why can't Ream and Zimmerman be a very solid back 4? It's not like CCV or Long have a ton of speed to cover either.
I really wonder if we had defensive injuries last minute would ggg swallow his pride and call brooks and ream
Berhalter is way over his head. He’s a conman with a secret “system” that neither exists nor works. How is it possible that, arguably, the most talented US group of players doesn’t seem to play better when playing for USMNT? Here’s the answer: Berhalter doesn’t know how to get the best out of them!!