United States Men’s National Team is headed to World Cup, ‘In a really Good Place,’ says captain
USMNT captain Tim Ream expressed optimism about the team's performance ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following a 3-2 victory over Senegal, with goals from Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, and Sergino Dest. The post United States Men’s National Team is headed to World Cup, ‘In a really Good Place,’ says captain appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.
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Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. – United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) captain Tim Ream wore a smile as he approached the media on Wednesday morning. Standing in front of a USMNT backdrop inside the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center, Ream spoke about how the team was playing leading up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“We’re in a really good place,” Ream said of the national team following a 3-2 victory over the Senegalese National Team in Charlotte last Sunday, May 31. “It was a good first game.”
For Ream, a veteran player with more than 15 years in the USMNT program, playing well at a stadium he is quite familiar with after years with Charlotte FC isn’t as big a deal as the team gelling at the right time. The USMNT scored three goals against a good team, with two coming from goal-scorers Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun, and one from defender Sergino Dest.
Dest is playing in his second World Cup, but in a much larger role this time around than he did as an even younger player four years ago in Qatar. Scoring a goal is one way for a player to be more motivated to play well during the next on-field test, but Dest, who also spoke to the media, couldn’t stop raving about the atmosphere at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. It should be an example of what is to come in Los Angeles and Seattle when Group D play begins on Friday, June 12, against Atlanta United star Miguel Almiron and Paraguay.
Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
Of the victory over Senegal, Dest echoed Ream, “We are really starting the right way.”
Ream added, “I think it was good. From the get-go, we knew we wanted to be aggressive and intense. Nothing wavered, guys were focused.”
Playing at full capacity for the World Cup is the best-case scenario for the United States. Defender Chris Richards, who arrived at the training center after his teammates did last week, was on the pitch on Wednesday. At the beginning of training, Richards was off on another field, working out with the team trainers, while other players worked on passing or shooting drills. Richards, along with fellow defenders Alex Freeman, Antonee Robinson, Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson, Ream, and Dest, will give the United States one of the most athletic backlines in world soccer.
The USMNT went through another day of training at the national training center on Thursday, before leaving for Chicago on Friday. The USMNT and Germany have a scheduled 1:30 p.m. first kick on Saturday.
The post United States Men’s National Team is headed to World Cup, ‘In a really Good Place,’ says captain appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.
