Tim Ream got the Petke test in the winter of 2010. In his first preseason training camp with the New York Red Bulls, Mike Petke decided he was going to test the young defender's ability. Petke tackled Ream from a dead sprint.
The kind of player Ream was then would continue to be throughout his career. He stood up and got on with the training.
What am I going to do about it? Ream spoke during an interview with the sports network. I'm going to try to beat him in a different way because that wasn't the way I played and I didn't know how to get him back.
It's entirely in keeping with Ream's personality, one that makes him a calm person in all aspects of his life.
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He said that he has never lost his cool. It's not worth it to retaliate or get angry because you lose focus on what you need to do, and that's just continuing to play the game, and then trying to win.
Ream's revival with the United States men's national team has come from his composure on the ball. He went from being on the outside looking in to being essential. The center-back from St. Louis has been one of the team's most consistent players. While committing just one foul, Ream has been his usual steady self on the ball, completing 88.6% of his passes and winning 60% of his duels.
Ream has leadership as well. The 35-year-old is the wise old head on the second youngest team at the World Cup. The US captain called Ream the "grandpa" of the group, leading to some good-natured banter on the bus. The US will need all of those aspects again on Tuesday when they face Iran in the knockout round. His teammates are thankful for him.
"The standard that Ream has been at, it's been amazing," said Robinson, Ream's teammate and fellow defender. He's calm on the ball. It is not a surprise to me. I've known what he was all about for a long time. It means a lot to me that he came out on this stage and raised his level even more than he already has done this season.
It's an approach that Ream has been honing since he started playing soccer. The old question is if his environment mold him or if he is just who he is.
Dan Donigan is the former coach of Ream at Saint Louis University. His personality is what it is. He's a nice guy. He doesn't feel anything rattles him. On or off the field, he doesn't overreact. Even though he's dealing with something, he's still a very composed individual.
Ream believes that both nature and nurture shaped him. He says that his siblings are a lot louder than he is. My oldest is the same way, so I'm not sure if that's a first child thing. I don't think I'll be the most vocal in the crowd. It was taught from a young age with the ball.
Ream's steady demeanor and ability have served him well in his 14 professional seasons. This is a man who has been on teams that have either been demoted or promoted to the premier league.
He said that the yo-yo nature of the club's recent years made him think. There are so many amazing things that can be found in this game. It can pull the rug out at the same time.
Ream's international experiences have included roller coaster rides. He was brought into the national team in 2010 by Bob Bradley, but after some poor play at the Gold Cup he was left out. He was recalled for the World Cup under Klinsmann, but once again fell out of favor. The same thing happened when Ream was brought in during the first year of Berhalter's tenure. The US manager turned his attention to younger players after a mistake-free performance in the first World Cup qualification match.
Berhalter kept in touch with Ream even though he was hedging his bets. When the US manager called Ream, he had to explain why he wasn't called in.
Ream said that at one point he had made peace with the thought of missing out on the World Cup.
The communication paid off. Both Chris Richards and Miles Robinson had injuries in the summer. There was a need for Ream on the World Cup roster.
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Ream was contacted by Berhalter in early November to see if the player was still engaged. He hung up the phone because he thought he had a chance to make the World Cup squad. Ream eventually got the word that he had made the team, despite the fact that these were better than Lloyd Christmas odds.
He said he was still trying to process it until he got to the airport.
The conversation he had with the three children was more tense than the exchange with Berhalter. Ream had booked a 10-day trip to Disney World with his family three days before Berhalter spoke to him. Ream had to tell them that the trip to Disney would have to wait when his plans changed.
I asked them what they were hoping for. What do you want to be when you grow up? What do you want to do when you're older? He said that he was going to the World Cup and that Disney would have to be postponed.
His two boys are already huge soccer fans and he was able to help them out. The blow was softened by that.
The United States and England played to a stalemate at the World Cup.
He said it was difficult to sell at the beginning. I think they were more excited to see the spectacle and be involved in it now after wrapping their head around it. They wanted a week when they got on the plane and when they could get here.
If he hadn't been playing well for Cottagers, Ream wouldn't have made the roster, but he's aware of his good fortune. His play at the World Cup was even more surprising. Two years ago, when Ream was last in the league, he made only seven appearances.
What did you see change? Ream smiled and said he had seen the debate. He insists that he's the same person he's always been. His style and abilities have not changed.
I don't know if I'm a better player now. He agreed. I don't know if I have become a different type of player or if I have changed. I don't believe that.
Ream admits there have been evolutions. Marco Silva's arrival was the best thing that could have happened to me. The Cottagers are a much better balanced side this season than they were in the past, and are currently in ninth place in the league. It's also important that experience is counted. Ream said that he has never stopped learning and that he is seeing the game better. The realization that he is nearing the end of his career has freed him so that he can keep playing for another three or four years.
He said that he would play the game on autopilot when he was younger.
The increase in his play is clear, as is the satisfaction he gets from being on a worldwide stage. The positive vibes began to show after the Wales game.
He said that he would have liked it more if it had happened a long time ago. I'm enjoying my time here.
Now Ream and the US face an immense challenge in taking on an Iran side that is very confident and is likely to be supported by a pro-Iran crowd. Ream is going to stay the same.
He said that he treats every game as a knockout game. The most important game at the moment is every game. I don't want to build it up that this game is on a pedestal because then you start to think it's better than it really is. We are aware of what needs to be done. We are in if we win.
They can get there thanks to Ream's play.
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