IRVINE, Calif. — Five years ago, Tim Ream slowly came to the heartbreaking realization he was never going to play in a World Cup.
It was 2021, he wasn’t having his best season at Fulham and wasn’t anywhere near U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter’s A-list as he pondered the roster for the 2022 World Cup.
Ream, who played with the Red Bulls in MLS in 2010-11 before moving to the Premier League, then had a career resurgence, playing every minute for Fulham and playing well.
He was picked to that ’22 team and has been a top U.S. defender ever since.