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United States men’s national team captain Tim Ream has accumulated more than 80 caps at the international level. However, at 38, he is helping to take on a new challenge.
A quick and fast press system.
“This style,” Ream said during his appearance on FOX Sports’ “The Herd” on Tuesday, “it’s fun to play. It’s enjoyable, 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 so nice to be a part of.”
The United States’ 4-1 victory over Paraguay on Friday at Los Angeles Stadium was the result of a high-risk, high-reward system that paid off. And this is paying off thanks to a wild card that the United States has struggled to find, in terms of consistency. A creative and clinical striker, Folarin Balogun.
“Flo is a natural striker,” Ream said. “He’s one of those guys who – you saw it on the second goal – loves to come in, rush behind defenders, put the ball in front of him and be able to take on guys. But he’s also off that level of being able to hold the ball and bring other players in. And now you find that connection.”
Before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Ream highlighted that Balogun had worked to establish a connection with the midfielders behind him – Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman and others.
“There’s a lot of stuff that’s not done on camera that people don’t see,” Ream explained. “Additional conversations and touches, additional exercises.”
This time spent together, away from the heat of competition, leads to dismissing the chances that present themselves and – even more crucial for this system – it leads to trust. Each attacker is assured that their teammate will put pressure on them if they lose the ball, giving them the confidence to take risks and make mistakes.
Balogun found himself a victim of this collective courage, as he scored two goals on Friday thanks to his own skills but also to sublime configurations from his teammates. The first was a low cross from Pulisic which landed just at the foot of Balogun for a unique finish. The second was a through ball from Tillman that reached Balogun in stride, giving him the momentum to get around defenders and create the angle for a shot.
Finishing off those chances rewarded the United States’ aggressiveness in winning the ball back in the final third after losing it there.
“We’re going to attack and we’re going to lose the ball. Yes, that’s a no-brainer,” Ream said. “But being in the right place before things happen is the best way to mitigate the downside of playing that way.”
Besides Balogun, Ream is crucial to the American system as he is the eye at the back and an extension of manager Mauricio Pochettino on the pitch. His job was made easier thanks to Balogun’s talent and the trust within the team.
“I don’t really think about being on an island,” Ream said. “Sometimes I’m just like, ‘OK, where do I need to be and where do I put guys to make sure we’re in a solid position to not have any crazy counterattacks?’
According to Ream, the foundation of this confidence is manager Pochettino. Because he takes care of his players and empowers them, they play for him in this high-intensity system.
“Once you get to know him and his team, it’s very easy. They’re very charismatic,” Ream said. “They care a lot about the players. They have a special focus on them when we’re on the field, but this idea that they want to connect with the players individually and that translates to the players connecting off the field in a larger group, in a larger collective.”
The United States is coming off an ultimate high – a performance that Ream called “one of, if not the best, that the guys have done in my many years.”
Part of the reason is that in all of Ream’s years he has not seen such a unique system working in synchrony. He is confident the United States has what it takes, starting with Balogun up front, through Ream and Pochettino, to keep the system working on Thursday against Australia and throughout the World Cup.
