Cameraman Nowhere Close to Picking Up Cult Favorite Tim Ream's First USMNT Goal

You could call USMNT vs Puerto Rico unchartered territory (see what I did there?). The last time these two teams played each other was… never. Puerto Rico exists in the liminal space between being a nation and belonging to the U.S. as a territory. But FIFA is all about acquiring more teams, so voila they have a team. And now the USMNT is playing them.

That said, this uncharted territory apparently includes camera setup, as the international feed is struggling to get either enough height or distance in the unfamiliar stadium to shoot this game proportionally. So when Tim Ream—a cult favorite left back for Fulham with a measly 20 caps and no international appearance in two years until 2014—scored his first glorious goal for the USMNT, he was nowhere to be found in frame. It seems like fickle Jurgen Klinsmann isn't the only one snubbing Ream, who was also left off of this summer's Copa America roster.

Not pictured… @timream5. #USMNT pic.twitter.com/MEQwPLQdir
— The American Outlaws (@AmericanOutlaws) May 22, 2016

Closest thing to proof that Tim Ream did, in fact, score today https://t.co/e2CGiLOHh4 #USMNT pic.twitter.com/qpF1Y2PXYI
— Avi Creditor (@AviCreditor) May 22, 2016

I mean, hell, Ream has enough of a following that his Wikipedia entry is already updated with the goal. The least they could do is to give the man something to look at when he comes home. Sigh.

Striker Bobby Wood, however, was close enough to the goal that the cameraman could capture both of them at the same time. Thankfully.

Yet it seems the prettiest goal of the day so far belongs to Puerto Rico—a group of mostly college players drawing from a population of 3.5 million.

The game is at 2-1, with the USMNT up at halftime. But the cameraman is two-for-three. Let's work on centering on the ball, shall we?

UPDATE:

(1:30pm, EST)

Speaking of firsts, Paul Arriola not only makes his first cap, but his first goal as well. Memories.

(3:55pm. EST)

Breaking:

Now there is definitive Proof that Ream actually scored the goal. Thanks to technology ubiquity, US Soccer has evidence.

@AmericanOutlaws This just in: @timream5 did in fact score his first #USMNT goal. pic.twitter.com/vslTZIPMS0
— U.S. Soccer (@ussoccer) May 22, 2016

Whew! It felt like searching for soccer highlights from the U.S. defeat of England in the 1950 World Cup out there for a second.