Only 22 days after signing with Bolton Wanderers in 2012, Ream was introduced to English soccer in the FA Cup, helping the visitors to a 2-0 win over Millwall at the New Den in the Fifth Round that February.
Ream's memory of that match? Millwall's supporters, who’ve forged a reputation for truly unruly behavior. The veteran defender was diplomatic when talking about that match.
“That was some introduction,” he said. “As we all know, Millwall is a pretty intense place to play. Very interesting set of fans for that to be my very first game. That's not something that I'll forget going there, having it be the FA Cup, knowing what that competition is about. It's historic. It's special. So, to have that be my very first game was pretty neat.”
Millwall Away-Day Memory
“It was nice that we came away with the win,” he said. “But quite the introduction to have it be at Millwall in front of those fans at The Den.”
By the time he ended his England tenure with Bolton and then Fulham in 2024, Ream wound up participating in 32 Cup matches. (20 FA Cup matches and another 14 in the English Football League Cup).
“You have that conversation each year before the FA Cup starts,” he added, discussing the English competition that the U.S. Open Cup is based on. “This competition means something, it means something to the fans, to the supporters. It's history.”
“A lot of teams and some managers will not take it as seriously,” he admitted. “And the ones who do, obviously, are the ones who tend to make it to the Quarters pretty regularly. That's been Fulham for the past probably two or three years.”
Ream's most memorable FA Cup confrontation isn’t even a win.
It was a devastating 3-1 loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup Quarterfinals on March 19, 2023. Leading 1-0 in the 70th minute, Fulham had two players, Aleksandar Mitrović and Willian (and manager Marco Silva) red carded within a 40-second span, due to a handball call in the penalty area on Willian after a VAR ruling.
Man United converted the penalty kick. The Cottagers – as Fulham are known – were stunned.
“Just walking into the locker room after what has just happened, because we were so in control, we felt like we were on a cusp of getting through that Quarterfinal going to the Semifinals again,” Ream said. “It's a memory, probably the one that sticks out the most because of everything that went on and all the drama in the game.”
At 37, Ream might be the grand old man of the U.S. Men’s National Team, but he certainly hasn't played like one. He’s been a regular for Charlotte this MLS season and hopes to be picked for the team that will compete in the Concacaf Gold Cup. And of course, there's next year's FIFA World Cup.
