There must be some cb in MLS who can start preparing for his star turn when our Euro prospects wash out - as could easily happen. Fingers crossed for our Euros is not a complete plan. With CCV and Maloney both out with knocks, wouldn't now have been the time to get somebody into the program? Just htink of the MLS guys we've relied on in the past. It could happen again.
For a long time now too. He was very impressive as a young CB rookie in the MLS... not perfect by any means... but a ton of potential and legit skill for his age. But an injury of this length can really change the trajectory of a player. <fingers-crossed> It would be really fun to see him get back to that level with this year's Galaxy Team... and he would have been perfect for the Olympic Squad.
It's tough with Ream. Today, he's still likely as good as we have back there. You want to win a game you play who is best today, or Thursday in this case. Problem is, if we go into 2026 with a 38 year old Time Ream still starting in the back, the odds of that going well are not at all good. At some point, we have to transition to other options and it isn't going to be easy doing that with how seldom the national team is together and hoping it all falls in place over the last few months if we hold out. But the problem is not Tim Ream. Tim Ream has been good and has done everything asked of him. The problem is we have not had any younger players step up and win the position. You don't want the old guy to just linger until too late, but you can't just kick him aside and give the position to another option that hasn't been as good just because Father Time. But, we have seen him slip up a time or two of late, his club status is waning, and I do think the downward slide has commenced.
My thing with Ream is that I love a call-up of a player like him, when the rest of the team is young, to provide some veteran leadership. Even just picking his brain about career development, how to pick your next transfer, is valuable information for some players. The problem is that Berhalter also always plays those kinds of call-ups, which is less than helpful.
The situation is fairly straightforward. Richards is ever present. His partner is either Ream or Miles Robinson depending on form. Put aside the birth certificates and all that jazz. We have two qualified partners for Richards. Ideally someone else develops. Could be McKenzie or Trusty or Neal. For now and for the foreseeable future the main lineup decision Gregg has to make is between Ream and Miles Robinson as the other CB. For this particular window I lean toward Ream but I think it's a close call.
Its not really "tough" with Ream. Really...................I don't think the staff is looking beyond Copa America. They're not thinking ahead to the World Cup yet. Nor should they. The quality of competition is such at Copa America that you have to go with your best. That's not a time to give younger players "experience." We have ~two years after Copa America to worry about that World Cup squad. Two years. If Ream is legitimately one of our best CBs now, which he is, then he's in the squad. For some reason, there's a set of fans looking far in the future and saying "we have to prepare for 2026." That's not the way the coaching staff is going to operate. Cuz if Berhalter falls flat on his face this year at the Nations League and Copa America, he might be replaced. Its not time to experiment. Its time to GO!
Richards was on the bench for our last two competitive games, sitting next to Miles Robinson, while Ream and CCV started. I don't think it's quite so straightforward.
Regarding Ream, things can change quickly. The pro-Ream posts made a lot more sense last fall - in a must-win home-and-away challenge against T&T. Ream was playing and still getting it done against quality PL opposition. Then he got injured (calf) and did not play at all for 8 weeks, came back and played (and even started a few games in February) but has been a DNP since. Ream hasn’t played a minute since February 17. I consider myself one of the most consistent Ream fans here, but this was a good chance to kick the tires on Richards/MRob v Jamaica and the Final, and/or McKenzie/Trusty in the consolation (not consultation) match. I view CBs as a pair more than two individuals. If Richards/MRob is our future pairing (Copa especially + {yes} WC), then the more reps together the better. The future is now. {Ream could have rejoined the roster in June if he resumed playing for Fulham and including him seemed advisable. He was in the MNT wilderness for a long time during WC qualifying, yet returned to save the day in Qatar.}
I agree it's not totally straightforward but I do think Richards has the inside track here. Richards has been available for 4 A team camps since the World Cup (3 of them with Gregg officially in charge). In those first 3 camps, Richards started all 6 games. In the last camp, Gregg gave CCV the nod over Richards in both games, but IIRC he justified that based on Richards' lack of playing time with Palace. That was in mid-November, and at the time Richards had only started one league game for Palace roughly 3 months into the season. Since then, Richards has gone on to start 15 more league games for Palace this season (albeit many of them in midfield). So my guess is Richards is back in pole position there.
Yes, but I don't think we have to right this instant. The ideal situation is that someone takes the job, not that we simply give it to someone over Ream because he's old and they are second best. The bigger question will be can anyone take the job from him at Copa? We will have a long camp and friendlies and perhaps a slightly bigger roster for those friendlies. That long camp should give someone the chance to really get comfortable and prove out in a way this camp can't. But CB is not all that promising right now.
Ream doesn’t play for a month = how comes he’s called in Turner, Reyna, Adams dont play/barely play = not the same scrutiny. Ream has been pushed out of the side for like 4 weeks after making like 300 career appearances with Fulham and people are entirely questioning his call up. Like he just turned into a pumpkin over the last few weeks. Jeez.
Has anyone watched Zimmerman this year? I know he's coming back from injury but if he recovers I think he's also in the mix.
Still shaking off the achilles rust in the matches I've watched. Sometimes that can take quite a bit of time to get anywhere back to up to speed physically.
Looking at the full roster, I’ll ask three questions of two different time frames - six questions in total - and try to answer them off the top of my head. Corrections welcome. Players who started and played the full match in their club team’s most recent match. Total = 9. Callender Horvath Dest McKenzie Richards ARob MRob Scally (No midfielders) Wright! Players who started their club team’s most recent match. Add 5 = 14 starters. Add Lund Cardoso (Johnny) McKennie Aaronson Pulisic Players who played in their club team’s most recent match. Add 6 more = 20 players. Add Adams Musah Tillman Balogun Pepi Weah Go Tyler! Players who have played a full match for their club within the past month. 9+7 = 16 Gamers. Callender Horvath Dest +Lund McKenzie Richards ARob MRob Scally +Cardoso (Johnny) +McKennie +Musah +Tillman +Balogun +Pulisic Wright! Players who have started for their club team within the past month. Add 1 = 17 (regular + occasional) starters. Add Aaronson (a rare start, but a very good one) Players who have played (at all) for their club team within the past month. Add 3 subs = 20 players Adams (likely future starter) Pepi } Both have started and played Weah} 90’, I think, but too long ago Everyone except: Matt Turner - started FA Cup matches in January Tim Ream - started a few matches in February Gio Reyna - living a nightmare, ours if not his Note that Tyler Adams just played his first minutes in months, doubling his Bournemouth total in 23/24 (from 20’ to 40’).
Things do change. In this particular case Richards' club situation is much different. He's been playing a lot. The club keeps him in the starting lineup and sees enough value to move him around if necessary to keep him in the lineup.
Yup. There is nothing complicated about the situation. The date on the birth certificate is irrelevant to the decisions Gregg has to make this week and this summer.
I'm all for using Miles in one of the pre-COPA friendlies. I think it is a close call between Miles and Ream for who should be starting next to Richards. I wouldn't be upset if Miles got the nod this week. But the call should be based upon which player gives us the best chance to win this week.
We can argue about whether he should start. I'm fine with that discussion. ..........but Ream is clearly in the top 4 current CBs in our pool.
I'm not opposed to giving anyone the start -- I'm not actually sure the best combo at this point. But I'm simply not sitting Ream because he's old quite yet. This window isn't the window yet; if he's the best option, he's the best option.
I think the Pumpkin view is how he's looked since about spring last year, certainly since August, when he basically looked like he totally hit the age cliff like Wile E Coyote.Its not a few weeks thing at all, it's a 8 months thing, at least.
Yeah, and..................?? I watch a guy like Trusty get torched on a weekly basis. I watched the Fulham game against Bournemouth on February 10th, and Ream was a beast. Commentators couldn't praise him enough. So for me, he's one of the top 4 CBs right now. That doesn't mean I think he should start.