Tim Ream's uneven start to his first full season and England has not prevented him from making his return to the U.S. men's national team.
According to his club, Bolton, Ream has been called in by Jurgen Klinsmann for the United States' World Cup qualifiers against Jamaica on Sept. 7 and 11. Ream has not made it off the bench in Bolton's last two league matches after starting the season opener against Burnley. He did go the distance in Bolton's most recent match, a 2-1 loss to Crawley town in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday.
Ream has not played for the national team since coming on as a substitute in the United States' 1-0 loss to Ecuador at Red Bull Arena on Oct. 11, 2011. His last start for the national team came under Bob Bradley, during the 2-1 loss to Panama in the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The call-up will be his first since making his transfer from the New York Red Bulls to Bolton last winter.
What do you think of this development?
Share your thoughts below.
So does that mean you’re not calling in Dempsey either? In the most crucial games yet for this cycle?
Sorry but I’m going with the players who give us the best chance to win.
I’d take a traffic cone over Tim Ream
Wow, there goes the neighborhood….Ream blows
Where is the rest of the roster? Could we ever have our roster selected or released tot he public before our opponents? Eric LIchaj, Josh Gatt, Joe Corona, Mix Diskkerud!!! Let’s see some young guns for this one please!
Oh boy, this again. Seb Hines is like some mythical magical beast for the internet. Newsflash though. Starting just as much as Ream is. Has never been contacted by USMNT, but rather said in ONE interview that he would be open to it if it hypothetically ever happened.
Can we stop annoiting players that will never play for us as saviors?
I been told Ream is one of the fastest player in his team. Speed shouldn’t be a problem for him. His issue was and still is his lack of muscle to man the CB position. To me his inclusion means that we are going to see a different pairing at the CB position, is Goodson not available? or is JK passing up on BOCA? will should know soon.
Actually, if he had been “capped in a senior men’s national team game that wasn’t a friendly”, he would be cap-tied and unable to file a switch. The switch is for those individuals who have played at an official youth level FIFA tournament (U-17+) and were eligible to play for another country at that time.
Having played defense, IMO you evaluate on the prime directive, defensive ability, particularly at CB.
I keep going back to Panama but that game we showed up with a slow, technical team (Goodson and Ream at CB) and they “reamed” us. Switch Boca for Ream, Lichaj for Boca and magically we win in the Gold Cup knockout against the same team that gave us fits in group. Someone was the weak link hmmmmm.
A really good team might be able to split hairs about whether two similarly good defensive backs have different technical qualities. But with 2 GA against Antigua and Guatemala I’d be erring on the side of plugging the backline leak. Ream is not that choice.
Seems like a desperation move. So many of the top CBs in our pool are hurt or not playing or playing a different position or playing 4th Division football.
“Using your logic, we should never play MLS players since we have 23 Americans Abroad now.”
If you’re comparing MLS to 4th tier Scottish Football, I can’t begin to debate any points with that logic.
I’m not a homer in the least but that’s just an absurd comparison.
Yea, I’m not debating you on that point.
Trust me, I’m not his biggest fan in the slightest.
“t you are a crazy person. It’s not his fault he’s currently playing in the 4th tier.”
Sure it is. He has the ability to move, should he seek a partner….MLS, for instance.
It’s very much “his fault” should he remain. It’d say a lot about his character for the positive. On the downside, I don’t see how a nation’s captain playing against Pub/Sunday Morning Rec-League quality of players is good for anyone, least of all the player.
I also think it sets a bad precedent.
A list of the 5 worst MLS howlers his last season had 2 Ream entries.
100% agree.
I think it was clear Gooch had no future with the Nats prior to that. At least that’s the way I felt.
I think Tim Ream leaves a lot to be desired but I’m not ready to write him off just yet. Gooch, on the other hand, I closed that book a long, long time ago (personally).
“You’re nitpicking or biased if you find fault with his distribution; you’re wrong if you think the average USMNT fan rates Ream’s defense all that highly”
Not nitpicking, it’s a clear and honest observation. I think his ability to distribute is high but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Without the ability to show game highlights, I think you’d be surprised at how many errant passes he makes, for that being his strength.
Also, he has more fans on this site (hence I said around here) than you may be aware of.
It’s all about giving guys a chance, qualifier or no qualifier. Brek Shea hasn’t had such a good year, but was called into camp for the recent friendly.
Just because a guy is called in, doesn’t mean he’s going to start. Since there are injuries and what not at the moment, I don’t see a Tim Ream call up as such a bad thing. I do find it a bit concerning that he hasn’t started consistently for Bolton, but I figure now is the time for him to work his butt off and he’ll get to where he needs to be.
Why does that matter? Quality of opposition is only one part of the equation, he’s still top 3 CB on the team, if not higher. Using your logic, we should never play MLS players since we have 23 Americans Abroad now.
I swear sometimes Klinsmann is trying to sabotage the US MNT. He sites “not enough playing time” or “club limbo” when he doesnt call players that have actually produced in a USA jersey, but when his potential hopefuls are in the same situation he gives them call ups. Ream is talented but he doesnt have the grit and focus to be consistent for 90 min. in a World Cup Qualifier.
No paperwork for Chandler because he hasn’t been capped in a senior men’s national team game that wasn’t a friendly. Youth tournaments are OK too, no paperwork required AFAIK.
t you are a crazy person. It’s not his fault he’s currently playing in the 4th tier.
He’s the captain of our team and still a great CB. Maybe he won’t start but he needs to be there for leadership.
This is not Camp Cupcake. World Cup qualifiers are not slumpbusters.
I could understand helping Edu or Dempsey out in their weird situations, but for a qualifier I’d really not modify my team to trying and get someone PT. I don’t want to find out there’s a reason why he’s not been playing….save that for friendlies where there is no consequence to Gooch unraveling, etc.
The Roster will probably be out either Friday or Sunday. My guess Sunday after games have been played.
You better have your fingers crossed that no other important players go down with any injuries this weekend.
All due respect Cameron’s usage by the Dynamo went, in order, RM, CB, and then eventually CM. CM was his worst spot. He often played CAM rather than CDM. His best position was CB where he made the MLS XI.
You have Edu correct but they are inversions of each other, Edu can play back, Cameron can play mid. Both of those are second-choice usages IMO.
I think Boca is at the edge of over the hill (ditto Dolo), but I doubt Rangers rules him out. Now, Gooch was brutal and is probably gone. But they are not in the same boat even if Boca is the older one.
John is still on the international fence so until he commits he is of indifference to me in terms of callups. Unlike Chandler, he’s not even all that great where I’d endure a circus to see which way it works out.
Castillo is injured along with Bradley and Donovan.
I actually believe that this means that Onyewu will not be getting called in for these qualifiers.
I see CB on call: Boca/Ream/Goodson/Cameron
I see FB on call: Johnson/Castillo/Dolo/??????? we will see.
One part of my brain: This is a good call. Ream’s in a slump, but he’s still a very good (if limited) player when he’s right. This will give JK a chance to see where he is, and maybe it will give him a much-needed shot of confidence.
Other part of my brain: No way Klinsmann trusts Ream in his current form enough to put him on the field in a WCQ. If you’re going to call a CB just to get a look at him, why not use the spot on Omar Gonzalez or Amobi Okugo instead?
I think it’s an awful choice for Jamaica because they will likely have a fast team. Our Panama game in the Bradley Gold Cup debacle is instructive of what happens when you try to counter an athletic team with pure technique.
IMO I’d announce the callups on Monday (or Tuesday) so that we have flexibility about injuries or form that manifest themselves over the weekend. Judging by Ream the players are being kept in the loop and can make plans, but Jamaica and such don’t get tons of lead time to prepare. Outside of camps and long trips, Klinsi has not typically publicly announced final rosters way ahead of time; and as I understand it we don’t have to commit to a roster for CONCACAF purposes until the last minute.
Not saying I disagree with you, but the inclusion of Ream to me does not have bearing on our fullback situation.
Would T. Chandler have to fill out paperwork to FIFA for a switch, since he played for the US? Or, does that only pertain to players who played in Youth tournaments and are switching?
His distribution and ball handling are national team caliber (and not just USMNT). His defending is MLS caliber.
You’re nitpicking or biased if you find fault with his distribution; you’re wrong if you think the average USMNT fan rates Ream’s defense all that highly.
People were high on Ream because it was easy to dream on his potential, given his ball skills. But there has always been a lot of doubt from all but his blindest boosters about whether or not his D would ever become good enough. My own guess, then and now, is no, but as someone who watched him w/ RBNY, I like him a lot and hope for the USMNT’s sake I’m proven wrong.
Yes, let’s play an inferior lineup in our two most difficult qualifiers of this round.
We may not get the six points, but at least we’ll have adhered to a rigid selection criteria!
It hasn’t really been progress.
I’d put money that the boat that left on Chandler. He is going for ze Germans.
Does this mean we should expect the full roster to be announced on Sunday?
more like months.
Wouldnt mind seeing his progress since moving to Bolton, but i think this shows how thin we are at cb. Basically we have 2 vets that can no longer hold their spots (boca and gooch), 2 cdm that can play cb (cameron and edu), 2 cbs that are boarderline internationals (goodson and parkhurst) and a few cbs that have yet to prove themselves at the international level (ream, gonzo, john, etc) not a bad idea to work those new guys in at some point during qualifyers.
Qualifiers are not usually the time to be experimental. Recall Gooch’s Antigua experience. Last thing we want on a road qualifier is to figure out a player is out of shape, rusty, or outright lost it.
I like this call. Let’s not forget that Klinsmann also called up Maurice Edu for Mexico City and Edu was in Club Limbo and also was not playing.
As a side note, Jogi Low is scheduled to announce his Germany WCQ roster Friday. Low has been under the most heat ever the past couple of weeks and talk is that he is going to leave some regulars off the squad and we will see about Timothy Chandler…
About time
Boca should not be called up, he is still in the fourth tier, hell no. Sorry but he should never be on the USMNT again, playing fourth tier.
I can’t forget how bad he was for NYRB and the USMNT, don’t let him back on the field.
Good move by JK.
So last year when he was starting for Bolton he never got called up. Now that he lost his starting spot he gets a call up? This doesn’t make sense at all, but maybe it is a way to see his progress and hopefully he doesn’t get to play.
my guess is he will be Boca’s back up and they will have Cameron and Goodson as the other CB’s. Doubt Ream will see the field.
Don’t really understand this call-up. Ream has been sitting on the bench! Not only that Ream looked horrible in the game he started.
I’m not happy about this call. Maybe its just part of a preliminary roster so Klinnsmann can take a look if there’s any improvement. Hopefully he doesn’t make the game day roster or god forbid actually start.
Well he has to file a one-time switch bud. Which can take a few weeks to get approved.
I’m not in favor of calling someone up that isn’t getting playing time at their club but I wouldn’t mind Tim getting another shot at CB.
Not the biggest fan of his supposed distribution (which I find far more inconsistent than amazing), nor do I rate his defensive ability as highly as people around here do but I’d love to be proven wrong.
Seb Hines is a better defender and is willing to switch to the USA. I’d go with him over Ream.