Captain Tim Ream Explains How Folarin Balogun Makes USA's System Work

U.S. men's national team captain Tim Ream has accumulated more than 80 caps at the international level. Yet at age 38, he's helping to maximize a new challenge. 

An up-tempo, high-press system. 

"This style," Ream said while appearing on FOX Sports' "The Herd" on Tuesday, "it's fun to play. It's enjoyable, but it's harder than any style or system that I've ever played. But when it works, when you see what Friday brought, it is so enjoyable to be a part of."

USA's 4-1 victory against Paraguay on Friday at Los Angeles Stadium was a result of a high-risk, high-reward system paying off. And paying off because of a wild card that the U.S. has struggled to find, in consistency. A creative and clinical striker, Folarin Balogun. 

"Flo is a natural striker," Ream said. "He's one of those guys that — you saw it on the second goal — loves getting in, and darting behind defenders and getting the ball in front of him and being able to take guys on. But he's also out of this dimension of being able to hold the ball up and bring other players in. And now you find this connection."

Before the 2026 FIFA World Cup started, Ream emphasized that Balogun put in the effort to make a connection with the midfielders behind him — Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman and others. 

"It's a lot of things that are done not in front of the camera that people don't see," Ream explained. "Conversations and extra touches, extra drills."

That time together, away from the heat of competition leads to slotting away the chances that present themselves, and — even more crucially to this system — it leads to trust. Each attacker is assured their teammate will press if they lose the ball, giving them the confidence to take risks and make mistakes.