Is defensive veteran Tim Ream preparing his USMNT swan song?

The match is set to be an emotional homecoming for Ream, who, at 37, recently became the USMNT's oldest outfield player this century.

"I still feel young. I feel great. I still feel like I can play at least two to three more years,” Ream said in a news conference while 25-year-old Mark McKenzie snickered. "It definitely helps coming in sitting next to these guys here, who are 24, 25, 26."

USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino famously favors older defenders (he used 39-year-old Thiago Silva last year at Chelsea in favor of younger options) and has expressed the importance of leveraging domestic Major League Soccer players like Ream. 

"MLS is very competitive," Pochettino said when asked about calling players up from the league, via WSPA News. "They have good discipline, they train very well, and why not?"

But there's no denying that Ream is reaching his limit. While his passing and positioning remain strong, he's simply not as quick as he used to be—and Jamaica will look to exploit that when the two teams face off in St. Louis.

And so, the question emerges: will Monday's St. Louis showdown be another highlight in Ream's stellar career, or will it be his swan song with the USMNT?

Pochettino has other options. Most notably, he has the talented pairing of Auston Trusty and Cameron Carter-Vickers. The two defenders are both 26 years old, and they play their club soccer together at Celtic in Scotland—meaning they have the advantage of working together every week and not just during USMNT camps. Trusty and Carter-Vickers are still inexperienced on the national stage, but it's easy to see them leapfrogging Ream in the starting lineup as they mature.

So as the USMNT faces Jamaica in St. Louis—with Ream as its unquestioned leader and captain—the moment may be bittersweet for the team as a whole. Ream is a beloved player in USMNT history, one who bridges generations. He made his debut just a few weeks after the 2010 World Cup and remained a crucial part of the team clear through until today. The USMNT has the young talent to survive without his on-field play...but can it survive without his off-field leadership?

“When you describe people in football, sometimes you just say they’re one of the good guys,” Ream's USMNT and Fulham teammate Antonee Robinson said, via The Athletic. “That’s what Tim is. He’s a real leader…It’s just a really happy moment for me that he’s here.”

Ream's here for now, but he may not be here forever. This Jamaica clash may well be his final chance to bid farewell to his hometown crowd.