Several months ago, USA national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann recommended defender Tim Ream of the New York Red Bulls to Bolton Wanderers manager Owen Coyle. At least that is the story. Bolton bought Ream in January, and he started in central defense for most of the relegation run-in. Nothing unusual so far. Except for one thing; Klinsmann has not picked Ream for the US since Bolton signed him.

This pattern continued this week, when Klinsmann named his squad for Wednesday's visit to Mexico City in a friendly against the USA's bitter CONCACAF rival. No Tim Ream. You can see the entire roster here.

For me personally, I am glad when one of our players gets snubbed by his national team. It motivates him to work harder, and decreases his risk for injury. Unfortunately, it also perpetuates the idea that you can't get picked for internationals if you are at a small club or in a lower division. It's a double-edged sword. All things considered, I am glad we will have Ream with us this week while training for the season opener.