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US Men’s National Team Captain Tim Ream has accumulated over 80 caps internationally. However, at 38 years old, he is helping to maximize a new challenge.
A fast-paced, high-pressure system.
“This style,” Ream said while appearing on FOX Sports’ “The Herd” on Tuesday, “is fun to play. It’s fun, but it’s harder than any style or system I’ve ever played. But when it works, when you see what Friday brought, it’s a lot of fun to be a part of.”
The United States’ 4-1 victory against Paraguay on Friday at Los Angeles Stadium was the result of a high-risk, high-reward system that paid off. And it is paying off thanks to a wild card that the United States has had a hard time finding, in consistency. A creative and clinical striker, Folarin Balogun.
“Flo is a natural forward,” Ream said. “He’s one of those guys who, you saw in the second goal, loves to come in, run behind defenders, get the ball in front of him and be able to take on guys. But he’s also outside of this dimension of being able to hold the ball up and attract other players. And now you find this connection.”
Before the 2026 FIFA World Cup began, Ream emphasized that Balogun struggled to establish a connection with the midfielders behind him: Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman and others.
“There are a lot of things that aren’t done on camera and that people don’t see,” Ream explained. “Extra conversations and touches, extra exercises.”
That time together, away from the heat of competition, leads to missed opportunities and, even more crucial for this system, leads to trust. Each attacker is assured that their teammate will press if they lose the ball, which gives them the confidence to take risks and make mistakes.
Balogun found himself on the receiving end of that collective courage, as he scored two goals on Friday thanks to his own skill but also sublime plays from his teammates. The first was a low cross from Pulisic that landed right on Balogun’s foot for a one-time finish. The second was a through ball from Tillman that came to Balogun calmly, giving him the momentum to get around defenders and create the angle for a shot.
Finishing those chances rewarded the aggression the United States put into practice to win the ball back in the final third after losing it there.
“We will attack and we will turn the ball over. Yes, that’s a fact,” Ream said. “But being in the right place before things happen is the way to mitigate the negative aspects of playing that way.”
Aside from Balogun, Ream is crucial to the United States system because he is the eye on the backline and an extension of coach Mauricio Pochettino on the field. Their job has been made easier thanks to Balogun’s talent, as well as the trust of the entire team.
“I don’t really think about being on an island,” Ream said. “Sometimes I just think, ‘Okay, where do I have to be and where do I have to put the guys to make sure we’re in a solid position to not have any crazy counterattacks?'”
The basis of that confidence, in Ream’s opinion, is the coach, Pochettino. Because he cares about his players and empowers them, they play for him in this high-intensity system.
“Once you get to know him and his staff, it’s very easy. They’re very charismatic,” Ream said. “They care a lot about the players. They have an interesting focus on them when we’re on the field, but they have the idea that they want to connect with the players individually and then that translates into the players connecting off the field in a larger group, in a larger collective.”
The United States is coming off a great moment, a performance that Ream called “one of the best performances the guys have put on in my many years, if not the best.”
Part of that is because, in all of Ream’s years, he hasn’t seen such a unique system flowing in synchronicity. He’s confident the United States has the pieces, starting with Balogun at the top, through Ream and Pochettino, to keep the system working Thursday against Australia and throughout the World Cup.
