Tim Ream wasn’t going to be unnerved – not by 24,500 fans at Red Bull Arena, not by the ESPN cameras and certainly not by Chicago Fire striker Brian McBride.
The Red Bulls central defender handled it all with aplomb, hardly showing any evidence that last night’s 1-0 victory against Chicago was, in fact, his first Major League Soccer game.
“There’s always nerves no matter when you play,” the 22-year-old rookie said. “I’ve always been a calm person on the outside. I don’t wear my emotions on my sleeve like [Mike Petke]. I don’t let get nervous enough where I let it affect me.”
Although he could recite McBride’s resume better than most, Ream wasn’t intimidated by arguably the best ever American center forward, irreverently sending him to the ground in the second half, drawing ire from the Fire bench.
“Being a St. Louis guy and going to (St. Louis University), it’s almost an honor playing against him,” Ream said. “He’s a national team guy, he’s been around the league, been around the EPL and he’s one of the best strikers the league has ever seen. I clipped him a little bit, but I didn’t get him that bad. Don’t let him fool you.”
Ream’s poise and comfort on the ball has impressed his teammates, especially goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul.
“Since Day One in preseason, I’m like this is the guy I can see him on the national team within two years maximum,” he said. “He’s that type of player physically and technically he has everything. His vision of the game tells you this guy is going to be something. He can read the game, tackle and run effortlessly.”
Ream, who was selected 18th overall in January’s MLS SuperDraft wasn’t the only defensive star last night.
“Our back four were excellent, absolutely all of them, including Bouna, who made a couple of key saves,” Red Bulls coach Hans Backe said. “Ream, Petke, [Jeremy] Hall, [Roy] Miller, the way they defended it was definitely our key to win the game.”
Last year the Red Bulls leaked goals at an alarming rate and ended up allowing a league-worst 47 goals against. Following an undefeated preseason, the Red Bulls back four was solid against the Fire and Coundoul made eight saves – all in the second half – to earn the clean sheet after the team only recorded four shutouts in 2009.
“I think it was a block of eight for sure, the midfielders you can throw in there as well,” Petke said. “It’s just a different mentality this year. It’s coming from the top and trickling down which really didn’t happen last year. We know what’s expected of us, it’s not always going to pretty, it’s our job to keep the ball out of the net and limit the shots on Bouna.”
A year ago, the Red Bulls opened the regular season on the wrong end of a 3-0 scoreline against the expansion Seattle Sounders. The Red Bulls didn’t get their first win for another month and the groundwork for one of the worst seasons in MLS history was paved.
“Last year was a lot different,” Hall said. “This year I think we have more of a chemistry together. Tim has done a great job, Roy has done a good job and Petke is a veteran who leads by example.”
