Antonee Robinson praises career revival of USMNT & Fulham teammate Tim Ream

Robinson has enjoyed watching Ream's turnaround firsthand.
Robinson has enjoyed watching Ream's turnaround firsthand. / John Todd/ISI Photos/GettyImages
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United States Men's National Team full-back Antonee Robinson has heaped praise on his club and international teammate Tim Ream for his late-career renaissance.

At 35 years old, Ream has gone from being on the outside of the USMNT setup, picking up just one cap in 2020, to being a rock at the heart of Gregg Berhalter's defense in Qatar.

Ream's revival has been thanks to his incredible form in the Premier League with Fulham, with the veteran center-back coming first among his teammates in a number of key metrics so far, such as interceptions (21), blocks (23), clearances (50), and passes completed (715).

The man next to him both at club and international level, Robinson, has enjoyed Ream's career turnaround firsthand and has revealed just how much it means to him.

"The standard that [Ream] has been at, it's been amazing," Robinson told ESPN. "He's such a calming presence on the ball. It's no shock to me. I've played with him for a long-enough time now to know what he's all about. But to see him actually come out on this stage, when it was at one point looking like he wouldn't be here, and raise his level even more than he has done already this season, it means a lot to me."

Ream and the USMNT have a great chance to reach the World Cup knockout stages when they face Iran on Tuesday, with a victory enough to see them finish at least second in Group B. Anything less and they'll find themselves on the next plane home from Qatar and planning for their 2026 campaign as co-hosts.


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