Tim Ream is making Charlotte home

Charlotte FC's veteran defender is planting roots as he sets sights on one more World Cup in '26; plus Smith gets contract extension through 2027 and previewing Saturday's game vs. San Jose

This is a special Thursday edition of Fútbol Friday, The Charlotte Ledger’s weekly newsletter getting you up to speed on Charlotte FC, the city’s pro soccer team. Taking a deep dive on the motivations of defender Tim Ream made the most sense ahead of tonight’s U.S. Men’s National Team matchup against Panama. Then came word that Dean Smith’s contract was extended today as coach of Charlotte FC.

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Ream says his family is his motivation, wanting to show both his children and fellow players: ‘You’re never going to outwork me’

Ream drew top reviews from Coach Dean Smith and goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina for his defense in last Saturday’s 2-0 win over Cincinnati. (Photo by Kevin Young of The 5 and 2 Project.)

If you’re Tim Ream, and you’re 37 — the same age as Lionel Messi — it makes sense to play every game, season or stint with the U.S. Men’s National team like it could be your last. But it’s hard to live that way.

That might explain why a world-class soccer player gunning for a second and final World Cup in 2026 would leave England to parachute into Charlotte FC in the middle of last season, drop anchor and make plans to stay a while.

“We promised the kids that we’d stay long term — until they finish high school,” said Ream recently.

That’s saying something. The oldest of his three children, Aidan, is 11, followed by his second son Theo, 9, and daughter Lilia, 6.

Ream and Charlotte FC striker Patrick Agyemang will suit up tonight for the U.S. in L.A. for the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal against Panama. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. on Paramount+, CBS, the Golazo! Network and TNT. The pair will miss Charlotte FC’s game Saturday against the San Jose Earthquakes since both the final (9:30 p.m.) and third-place Nations League games are Sunday.

The Ream family spent this offseason getting settled in Charlotte. He and his wife, Kristen, bought a home in South Charlotte, after renting for his past 13 seasons in England, including nine with Fulham F.C. They also sold the home they’ve kept in St. Louis, where both of them grew up and played soccer for Saint Louis University.

The 2026 World Cup is certainly on Ream’s radar, but his day-to-day is here. When asked what motivates him the most, Ream said: “Showing my kids what hard work can do. And how long you can do it.”

While many professional athletes hire personal trainers for offseason workouts, Ream prefers doing it alone. All he needed was a nearby recreational park and a Strava app on his watch to measure the distance for his interval runs.

“It’s just me and the grass,” he said. “Me and the road, me and the turf. If I can do everything [performance coaches] are giving me for fitness, and nobody’s pushing me? Then I know I’m going to be in a good place. Because when I’m going into a team environment where other guys are pushing me, where the coaches are pushing me, and I’m pushing myself, I know I have that little bit of extra.”

This January camp he set a goal of being in the top five in the “beep” test, or gradually intensifying 20-yard shuttle runs. Ream said he finished third behind fellow U.S. defenders John Tolkin, who is 22, and Max Arfsten, who is 23.

As he reached his mid-30s, Ream said he cut back on heavy weight lifting for strength training and instead picked up Pilates. His wife took him to his first class.

“I hated the class,” he said. “But I knew what and how it would help me.”

Now he has a Pilates reformer in his home. He said it’s helped him with strength, balance and injury prevention. But mostly, Ream said, he gets his competitive edge from what’s “between the ears.”

“It’s the drive to keep staying ahead of the guys who are 22, 23, 24, 25 years old,” he said. “I’ve always thought, ‘You’re not going to outwork me. You might be better than me technically. You may be more gifted. But nobody is going to outdo me.’”

Ream has reached the age where one missed tackle, and he’s declared washed up. He got that from more than a handful on social media after Charlotte FC struggled in a 2-2 tie to open the season in Seattle.

“All of a sudden, you’re 36, 37, and you’re not allowed to make a mistake,” said Ream, who says he’s heard the same doubters since turning 30. “I don’t pay attention to them anymore. At the end of the day, their opinions don’t mean [expletive] to me. It’s my family, my teammates and coaches; whatever they think is what matters.”

Coach Dean Smith and goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina both singled Ream out for his defensive play during last Saturday’s 2-0 shutout of Cincinnati, which helped Charlotte to its best four-game start (two wins and a draw for seven points) in its four-year history.

Ream celebrates with his family, wife Kristen, sons Aidan and Theo and daughter Lilia after Fulham won the English Championship in 2022. (Photo from Ream’s Instagram @tim.ream13)

Coming into the season, Ream had his longest offseason break in years. He got seven weeks, compared to the three he usually managed between European seasons and commitments with U.S. soccer.

The Reams have been busy making a new house their own, replacing windows, renovating bathrooms and reminding their children, “Don’t lean up against that, and don’t touch that,” Ream says.

They drove through McAdenville to see the Christmas lights. They made multiple visits to the U.S. National Whitewater Center, with three kids and two dogs in tow. The Reams have five dogs in all, including two pit bull mixes they adopted from Charlotte’s Animal Care and Control, to go along with a Labrador retriever, a Chihuahua and a French bulldog.

The Reams had a date night out with Ashley and Becca Westwood at Merchant and Trade, the uptown rooftop restaurant. There, Ream said, they got great advice from the Westwoods about how to work through some occasional blues that come with uprooting and transplanting a family. All three Ream children were born in England.

“Coming from where we’re coming from, even though we’re American, it takes time,” he said. “But we’re settling in more and more. The kids have been great; they’ve had their school friends they can go to. Obviously, I have [soccer] and my wife is starting to make more and more friends outside of the soccer world.”

They happened to move in near English neighbors, and the head of school at their children’s school is English, which means Ream recently found time on a carpool run to discuss with him the vicious tackle a Crystal Palace striker took from a Millwall goalkeeper in England’s FA Cup earlier this month.

The Reams’ two sons have gotten into competitive swimming, and their daughter is eager to start gymnastics and soccer, too.

“We didn’t want to push them into doing what I’ve done,” said Ream. “You’re going to have parents and kids say, ‘You’re only playing because of who your dad is.’ For us, it was ‘They want to play [soccer] great; if they find something else that’s uniquely them, perfect.’ My wife and I have no clue about swimming. We don’t drown. That’s all that matters.”

They’re also enjoying a lower-key lifestyle in Charlotte, where Ream has an easy fix if he wants to go incognito. He can take down his trademark man bun. But even then, Ream said he’s pretty quick to put his hair right back up.

“When we go out to dinner, I usually keep it down,” he said. “But then it gets in the way when I'm trying to eat.”

Ream letting the strawberry blond locks loose in last Saturday’s postgame presser. (Photo by Carroll Walton.)

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Charlotte FC extends Dean Smith contract through 2027

After shuffling through two coaches in its first two seasons, Charlotte FC has latched onto one they’d love to keep for a while. The club announced Thursday morning that it has extended coach Dean Smith’s contract through the 2027 season.

Smith led Charlotte to its highest point total in history last season (51) and first-ever playoff victory during a best-of-three playoff series loss vs. Orlando, while Charlotte allowed the second-fewest goals in MLS. Charlotte is off to its best start in its fourth year of existence this year, despite playing a rugged opening schedule against playoff contenders Seattle, Atlanta, Miami and Cincinnati. Charlotte has collected seven points with two wins and a draw in that span.

The announcement came one day after Smith celebrated his 54th birthday.

“It’s a beautiful day today, isn’t it then?” Smith said at his weekly press conference Thursday, where he said he felt honored to be approached by GM Zoran Krneta and owner David Tepper.

Smith came to the U.S. last winter after 12 years in the English coaching ranks, including Premier League stints with his boyhood team Aston Villa, Norwich City and Leicester City. But he said Thursday he always thought he’d want to challenge himself by coaching overseas.

“I really enjoyed my first year,” Smith said. “I didn’t know what to expect, not being over here to coach before in the MLS, but myself and my family have really enjoyed it. It’s a really good challenge for us. I feel that we’re building something, and I enjoy doing that. I enjoy the people I work with.”

The club sees him as a perfect fit.

“Dean has been an exceptional leader for Charlotte FC, and we are excited for him to sign a new contract,” Tepper said in a press release. “The club’s success over the past year is a reflection of his dedication and commitment to excellence both on and off the pitch. We look forward to what the future holds with Dean leading the way.”

Smith, a wine connoisseur, said he planned to celebrate with a bottle of Tignanello.

Dean Smith applauding a Bank of America crowd. (Photo courtesy of Charlotte FC.)

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Up Next: Charlotte FC (2-1-1) vs San Jose (2-2-0)

When/Where: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte

How to watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Find information about how to subscribe for the season here.

How to listen: WFNZ 92.7 in English, WOLS 106.1 in Spanish.

Notable:

• Charlotte is gunning for its third home win of the season and a sixth straight victory at Bank of America Stadium, dating back to last season.

• Charlotte FC is fourth in the Eastern Conference with seven points on the season, despite opening with a gauntlet — at Seattle (draw), home vs. Atlanta (win), at Miami (loss) and home vs. Cincinnati (win).

• This is the first time Charlotte has faced San Jose in MLS play, though the two played in the preseason Coachella Valley tournament last year.

• Charlotte will be playing without Tim Ream, Patrick Agyemang and Liel Abada (Israel) during this international break. It’ll be a chance for Idan Toklomati, who has had some bright moments coming off the bench behind Agyemang, including forcing the game-tying own goal in stoppage time in Seattle.

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Carroll Walton is a longtime baseball writer with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution now in her fourth season covering Charlotte FC. She would love to hear from you. E-mail her with questions, suggestions, story ideas and comments!

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