'Why not?' - Ream eyes another World Cup as USMNT resurgence continues
Amid a career renaissance at Fulham, Ream made his first World Cup squad at age 35 and went on to play every minute for the U.S. men's national team in Qatar.
It was a remarkable turnaround for a player who, prior to being selected for the World Cup roster, hadn't played for the USMNT in more than a year. But after the World Cup, the center back didn't harbor any illusions about running it back on home soil in three and a half years.
"I was 35 at the time. And I was thinking, 'OK, that was my one and only World Cup,'" Ream told reporters in the mixed zone on Wednesday.
The Charlotte FC defender was speaking after the USMNT defeated Guatemala 2-1 in the semifinal of the Gold Cup, a tournament in which the prospect of the veteran making yet another World Cup squad has grown ever more plausible.
Though many would have expected Mark McKenzie to partner Chris Richards at center back for the Gold Cup, Ream has instead captained the team and played every minute alongside the Crystal Palace man.
"Tim is a very experienced player," Richards said. "I've tried to learn a lot off of him over the last few years. And I think it's just our moment right now."
Ream put in another strong performance on Wednesday in his hometown of St. Louis, helping fend off a Guatemala side inspired by a crowd filled with its own supporters.
Playing home games in front of hostile crowds may have been new for some of the USMNT's inexperienced players, but Ream told his teammates that it's all part of the territory.
"The guys were actually asking me," Ream said. "They looked at me and they're like, 'What is that?'
"I said, 'Honestly, if we're playing Central American teams, that's just what you're going to get.'"
He added: "That right there is vitally important for the guys who haven't experienced it. I told them, 'This is Concacaf. This is what it is. So take a breath and get used to it.'"
Ream's experience and wisdom are important, but they wouldn't mean much if he wasn't also still contributing on the pitch. For the Gold Cup at least, Mauricio Pochettino has determined that Ream, even at 37 and no longer in the Premier League, is still the best option.
The USMNT isn't blessed with a plethora of center back options. Richards has entrenched himself as a clear starter but alongside him, the race appears to be open.
Suddenly, another World Cup doesn't seem like such a distant possibility for Ream, who will be 38 when the tournament kicks off in the United States next summer.
"The more I thought about it I was like, 'Well, why does it have to be [my only World Cup]?'" Ream said.
"Everyone else can try to retire me, but I'm still going, still playing. Why not? Why not continue on? Why not put that goal out there of getting to another one?
"So I did, and that's where I am. Whether I get there or not, it's not solely down to me I know, but it is solely down to me as well."
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