USA’s Tim Ream ended World Cup career in disastrous fashion

Tim Ream’s journey through the United States men’s national team wasn’t a standard one.

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He made his USMNT debut in 2010, but he didn’t play in a World Cup until 2022, and even at age 38, he was the captain and a full-time starter for this 2026 edition of Team USA.

For his perseverance, and his ability to stick around long after his peers had left the game, Ream should be commended.

It’s what makes his probable final game with the national team that much more painful.

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Ream was a central figure in allowing the U.S. to be smashed 4-1 by Belgium in the Round of 16 on Monday night.

The center of the U.S. defense was beaten badly on the first goal, which ended in a Belgium tap-in after multiple defenders appeared to switch off.

The second goal was all Ream, getting absolutely outdone physically on a headed goal right over his back.

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The third goal was a mistake by the keeper, Matt Freese, but Ream was back there as a sweeper who could’ve cleared it away. Instead, his last-ditch deflection didn’t do enough, and the ball still found the back of the net.

By the time Romelu Lukaku hammered home the fourth goal for Belgium, Ream and the rest of the defense were clearly and thoroughly defeated.

Tears came to Ream’s eyes afterward. Unlike most of this team, he isn’t in his prime. He knows this was it.

And when a reliable defender like Ream pictures a quality outing, it doesn’t look anything like the night he had in Seattle.

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Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for Ream. He looked out of place for large stretches of the game.

It’s too bad that fans will remember Ream like that. He had done so much good for this program, and he had grown into a leader worthy of the captain’s armband.

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He just failed to write a good ending.

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