U.S. SOCCER NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER (Fayetteville, Ga.) — Tim Ream will captain the U.S. men’s national team at the World Cup this summer, manager Mauricio Pochettino announced Saturday morning.
The 38-year-old center back has already worn the armband in 16 of 23 matches in the Pochettino era, including that first game vs. Panama on Oct. 12, 2024 in Austin, Texas.
“What I want to say is that I am so grateful that he’s with us, because he’s a great captain not only on the field, but maybe more importantly, off the field,” Pochettino said while sitting next to Ream during a press conference at the National Training Center outside Atlanta. “I think he has the experience, he has the capacity to be the leader that we want, the positive leader.
“For me, that’s one of the most important things is to connect [with] the gamers. He’s a tremendous voice, so fortunate to have a participant like him along with his persona and his character.”
Ream, the oldest participant on the USA’s 26-man roster, appeared slightly bit stunned regardless of his veteran standing on the crew.
“Wow,” Ream stated. “That is greater than a dream come true. I’ve finished all the pieces doable to be part of this group, to assist this group alongside, and I’m simply actually, actually grateful to be sitting right here to have this honor. And on the identical time, it’s not going to vary what I do or who I’m or how I assist the group.”
Ream thanked Pochettino, earlier than including that that is “the very best honor for me” and “I’m not going to take that with no consideration.”
Pochettino stated he was the one who selected Ream, not the gamers.
“Not a vote of the crew, of the gamers,” Pochettino stated, along with his arms folded on the desk. “It’s my resolution.”
Tim Ream of the USA after a recreation between the USA and Belgium in March. (Photograph by Andrew J. Clark/ISI Images/USSF/Getty Pictures)
Ream is already extensively seen as a pacesetter on this crew. Fellow defender Alex Freeman, who’s the youngest participant on the roster at 21 years previous, stated earlier this week that he’s all the time attempting to study from Ream and goes to him when he wants recommendation.
4 years in the past, a then-23-year-old Tyler Adams was named captain for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and dealt with the position with exceptional maturity and poise. Simply because he’s not captain this summer season doesn’t imply he’ll be any much less of a pacesetter. In actual fact, there are fairly a couple of gamers on the crew who might have dealt with captain tasks.
“Pay attention, it’s a privilege and an honor for anybody who will get to put on the armband,” Adams informed reporters earlier within the week earlier than Ream was formally named. “However what I signify, how I lead, I feel anyone that performs with me is aware of that I’m a pacesetter. That’s simply how I’ve been my total profession, whether or not I’m sporting the armband or not.”
Ream has been on this crew for 15 years and made his nationwide crew debut on Nov. 17, 2010. He has 80 appearances, scored one aim, and performed each minute of the 2022 World Cup.
The U.S. performs two tuneup friendlies over the subsequent week, dealing with Senegal in Charlotte on Sunday after which Germany in Chicago subsequent Saturday, June 6. The crew will then fly to their World Cup base camp in Irvine, Calif. earlier than kicking off the match in Group D the place it’s going to play Paraguay in Los Angeles on June 12, Australia in Seattle on June 19, and Türkiye again in L.A. on June 25.
