Tim Ream

Yeah, I think part of it is...

And, and Charlotte FC and Tim Ream specifically has talked a lot, a lot about this.

It's not just the back line that s- it seems to be the issue with Charlotte FC in terms of when they struggle defensively.

It's the entire team.

Uh, Henry got hurt and pretty much just came back in the summer.

Right.

So he just kind of fit in with Tim Ream, and that's starting to really click.

You can really see what the extra experience from Kessler on the other side next to, next to Tim Ream has kind of provided.

Nobody picked him.

Weston McKennie, Tim Ream, Matt Turner, uh, Tim Weah, Brenden Aaronson.

I, I feel like there should be some type of like, "Hey, we kinda already know what these guys are about.

Either they're, they're injured and working their way back into the team.

Mm-hmm.

Uh, i- if there was like a meaningful thing, most of these guys would get pu- called in for sure.

Uh, maybe not Ream and Turner, but, um, but, but Pulisic, McKennie, Weah, and Aaronson I think would be in that conversation.

So I just wanted to throw that out there.

Mm-hmm.

So now as we look at this next cycle, when you think about the Flo Baloguns, when you think about the Christian Pulisics, the Weston McKennies, the Tyler Adams, uh, Tim Ream's obviously gone, Chris Richards.

That window right, or sorry, that ceiling right there, who is capable-

Yeah

I mean, that's...

I- I don't know that Zendejas has a, has a role in the national team anymore.

Austin Trusty, who scored at a World Cup, I have no idea what his standing is, es- even with Tim Ream leaving.

There really are s- five to eight guys that are in strong space.

They haven't looked like a collective really good team, but he's definitely a plus to them.

It's just always the question, is Tim Ream going to fall on his butt again and do what he did during the World Cup for a game? So yeah, it's interesting to me in playing Charlotte at this point and seeing them just above us in the standings.

It's kind of honestly a prime opportunity, especially playing at home at this point too.

It's just honestly...

Just making sure that we're all where we... where we need to be in in the right moments sometimes just a grunt you don't even

need a word you're just going over there you know yeah uh i love it i love the fact that the this team is gelling i think that's the tim ream's talking about the success of the team and everything he's saying is kind of generic and and woo wooey and like you know because that's kind of how it is when when things are going so well like that it's because you've gelled and just things start happening you know, unspoken moments and telepathic connections and, you know, and what he's saying about, you know, the entire team defending the defense has been so good because all 11 guys, it's not just the back four.

And, you know, we saw in that most recent when Atlanta, when we were at Atlanta and crushed them last week, it was, It was goals that came out of defense turning into offense, and that's when Charlotte sees it their best.

And Ream recognizes that.

I mean, it's probably younger than you, Mark Gay, but these sort of guys would have been there.

You'd have had Tim Ream with the US as well.

So what's it like being the younger guy in those sort of relationships? And what have you learned from being the guy who's been looking for advice and leadership?

Yeah, I think it's good to be a sponge.

So that place on the roster will continue to be something that we think about investing in on at some point that you and i would have invested in a year ago uh until the cows come home

yes i mean it's going to be the thing we keep going back to is that ashley westwood is the pin you can't remove that of this team or everything falls apart and we now have enough data you know the truth of the matter is i still think that the same way we talk about tim ream that physical limitations are a thing and ashley westwood is an iron man that has stood the test of time but that does not mean he still has the same level of physical ability he had when he was 25 or 26.

He is still having to adapt and overcome challenges in an MLS midfield at his age that just raw physicality solve when you're younger.

The fact that that player still has those physical challenges and is still so critical to Charlotte FC looking functional in any direction is It does concern me.

I would have at least like to see more replays on that.

Cause there's a chance that Kessler wasn't, you know, uh, closer than the second to last man um looked like the the cut on the turf down there in atlanta was inconclusive from what i could see um and also hey atlanta fans fuck you for booing tim ream you know that's bush league bullshit uh so hey atlanta fans go fuck yourselves um Timree may not have had the best world cup, which I believe is the reason they were booing him, but, uh, he's still representing the U S men's national team.

So why don't you go fuck yourselves? Um, I just have no respect for that whatsoever.

Uh, I, you know, let's,

Do you think that's something weighing on Tim Rehm?

I would hope so.

So, um, I think that Tim reams time with the U S men's national team as a starter at the very least has passed.

And I don't know if he's not starting, if, if we should spend a roster spot on him.