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U.S. men's national team captain Tim Ream said that he was sympathetic over fans' concerns about World Cup ticket prices, but emphasized that he and his teammates must focus on what they can control.
Ticket prices have been a major talking point around this summer's tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Fans have complained that FIFA's pricing is “extortionate” and claimed that following a team from the tournament's start to finish will cost nearly five times as much as the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
USMNT forward Tim Weah weighed in on the issue in an interview with French outlet Le Dauphiné last month.
"It is too expensive," Weah said. "Football should still be enjoyed by everyone. It is the most popular sport. This World Cup will be good, but it will be more of a show."
Those comments drew a rebuke from Weah's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino, who urged his players to stay away from non-soccer topics.
"First of all, I think players need to talk on the pitch, playing football, not outside of the [pitch]," Pochettino said. "It is not [Weah's] duty to evaluate the price of the ticket."
In an interview with USA TODAY Sports, Ream struck a balance.
"We know that there are other things going on, that this sport and what we do is not the be-all and end-all," Ream said. "For us it is our job, and it is the biggest tournament in the history of sport, and it is our job to focus on what we're trying to do.
"Do we sympathize with the paying fans? Absolutely. However, we can't control any of that. And for us as athletes, we always talk about what we can control. What are our controllables? And that's not one of them. Things that are off the field are not one of them, unfortunately for us.
"And so what can we do? We can focus on what we do on the field, putting in good performances and inspiring people all around the country to get on board and go through this journey and go through this World Cup with us."
Ream said that he was hopeful that a deep USMNT run in the tournament would help fuel the growth of soccer in the United States.
"It will be down to the players in the team to inspire the entire country, which is a lot of pressure," the Charlotte FC defender said.
"It's difficult but it's also a great challenge and if you can look at it as a challenge and you can change hearts and minds with a great performance at a World Cup, then why would we not attempt to do that?"
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup ticket prices get reaction from USMNT captain Tim Ream
Continue reading...
Ticket prices have been a major talking point around this summer's tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Fans have complained that FIFA's pricing is “extortionate” and claimed that following a team from the tournament's start to finish will cost nearly five times as much as the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
USMNT forward Tim Weah weighed in on the issue in an interview with French outlet Le Dauphiné last month.
"It is too expensive," Weah said. "Football should still be enjoyed by everyone. It is the most popular sport. This World Cup will be good, but it will be more of a show."
Those comments drew a rebuke from Weah's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino, who urged his players to stay away from non-soccer topics.
"First of all, I think players need to talk on the pitch, playing football, not outside of the [pitch]," Pochettino said. "It is not [Weah's] duty to evaluate the price of the ticket."
In an interview with USA TODAY Sports, Ream struck a balance.
"We know that there are other things going on, that this sport and what we do is not the be-all and end-all," Ream said. "For us it is our job, and it is the biggest tournament in the history of sport, and it is our job to focus on what we're trying to do.
"Do we sympathize with the paying fans? Absolutely. However, we can't control any of that. And for us as athletes, we always talk about what we can control. What are our controllables? And that's not one of them. Things that are off the field are not one of them, unfortunately for us.
"And so what can we do? We can focus on what we do on the field, putting in good performances and inspiring people all around the country to get on board and go through this journey and go through this World Cup with us."
Ream said that he was hopeful that a deep USMNT run in the tournament would help fuel the growth of soccer in the United States.
"It will be down to the players in the team to inspire the entire country, which is a lot of pressure," the Charlotte FC defender said.
"It's difficult but it's also a great challenge and if you can look at it as a challenge and you can change hearts and minds with a great performance at a World Cup, then why would we not attempt to do that?"
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup ticket prices get reaction from USMNT captain Tim Ream
Continue reading...
