IRVINE, Calif. — At 38, Tim Ream is connected the verge of becoming the oldest U.S. men’s nationalist squad subordinate to look successful a World Cup. It besides makes him the lone subordinate connected the roster to person been live the past clip the U.S. hosted the tournament.
Ream was a kid successful 1994 erstwhile helium watched connected tv arsenic the U.S. upset Colombia astatine the Rose Bowl, helping the Americans to beforehand to the knockout signifier for the archetypal clip successful 64 years. That World Cup was a watershed infinitesimal for shot successful America.
So arsenic Ream arrived Monday astatine Great Park Championship Soccer Stadium and saw it astatine the 5,500 capableness with fans acceptable to ticker the archetypal grooming league astatine the team’s basal camp, helium particularly took announcement of the kids successful attendance.
“I’m aged capable that I retrieve bits and pieces of 1994, truthful I’ve tried to archer guys and tried to convey the connection successful the media that it’s a once-in-a-career opportunity,” Ream said. “And with that comes much expectation, much pressure. But astatine the aforesaid time, we person to bask it.
“For me, it’s astir conscionable opening your eyes and taking everything successful due to the fact that this is unique. This is different. This is wholly antithetic from thing that immoderate of america arsenic players person experienced.”
On Friday erstwhile the U.S. faces Paraguay astatine SoFi Stadium successful Inglewood, Ream gets to beryllium the USMNT skipper successful a World Cup much than 30 years aft tuning successful to the event.
Matt Freese could beryllium the starting goalkeeper successful that lucifer and said that playing Friday successful beforehand of the location fans with an accidental to animate them is 1 that nary 1 connected the squad takes for granted.
“The connection from maine is, believe,” helium said. “We’re believing, and erstwhile you person a radical of guys that fights for each different and dies for each different connected the field, thing tin happen. So judge successful us, bring the energy, and we perceive each and each 1 of you.”
“It means truthful overmuch to beryllium successful a presumption to animate the adjacent generation, and there’s a compounding effect to it obviously. We were inspired by the erstwhile generation. Hopefully, we animate the adjacent generation. And the much we animate them, the amended the pursuing procreation volition be.”
The U.S. mightiness participate the World Cup ranked 17th by FIFA, but did get a favorable gully for the radical signifier and immoderate bully quality astatine the grooming session. Top defender Chris Richards practiced with the World Cup squad for the archetypal clip aft tearing near ankle ligaments past month, with his lack successful the team’s 2 warmup matches raising questions astir the American defense.
“We volition see,” U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino said. “Today is the archetypal clip with the team, and truthful it’s bully to person astir everyone acceptable to beryllium selected for the game.”
Pochettino led USA chants up of the signifier league held astatine Great Park, formerly a Marine Corps aerial presumption wherever pilots erstwhile trained for planetary conflicts. This was the lone league unfastened for nationalist viewing, with astir 32,000 participating successful a lottery to effort to people pairs of escaped tickets.
For those who made it inside, Richards and Ream were among the players who walked toward the instrumentality seating areas of the stadium aft signifier to motion autographs and airs for pictures.
“We judge successful you,” a instrumentality told Ream, who signed her bandana. “We judge successful you.”
Contact Diamond Leung astatine dleung@reviewjournal.com. Follow @diamond83 connected X.
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