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Pochettino backs experience over star power with Tim Ream appointment
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- Pochettino backs experience over star power with Tim Ream appointment
Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Mauricio Pochettino has made the right call by naming Tim Ream as United States captain for the World Cup.
Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams both had obvious claims. Pulisic carries star power, while Adams has already led the USA at a World Cup.
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Yet captaincy should not be a popularity contest. It should reward the player a manager trusts most inside the group, and Pochettino has made that clear.
Tim Ream choice shows Mauricio Pochettino values trust over profile
Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images
Ream is not the glamorous pick, but he is the logical one. The 38-year-old defender has been named USA captain after captaining 17 of Pochettino's 24 games in charge .
That number matters. It shows this is not a sudden call, or a sentimental gesture before a major tournament.
Pochettino has already used Ream as his on-pitch extension. His public praise for Ream's leadership on and off the pitch only reinforces that judgement.
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This is the correct way to approach a World Cup captaincy decision. The armband should go to the player who best represents the manager's standards every day.
Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams still matter, but Ream is the right captain
This decision should not be read as a rejection of Pulisic or Adams. Pulisic has 84 USA caps, while Ream has 80, and Adams captained the side at the 2022 World Cup.
That context actually strengthens Pochettino's call. He had two credible alternatives and still chose the player he has trusted most often.
Ream also gives the USA clarity before they open against Paraguay in Los Angeles on June 12. For a tournament squad, that matters more than reputation.
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Pochettino has not ignored star power. He has chosen authority, consistency and trust, and that is exactly what this USA team needs.
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