USA Soccer World Cup Profile: Goalkeeper Tim Howard
Position
Tim Howard plays the goalkeeper position for English Premiere League team Everton and the United States men’s national soccer team. A North Brunswick, New Jersey product, he is currently 35 years old and on the tail end of an impressive career. As one of the better goalies in the World Cup, Howard still has plenty to show for the Americans.
World Cup Experience
Howard started in goal for the US national team at the 1999 World Youth Championship in Nigeria. He made the top-level US team for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, but only served as the backup to Kasey Keller. The US did not make it out of their group that year.
Tim Howard eventually became the first stringer for the US at the 2009 for the Confederations Cup. The American team reached the finals there, losing to Brazil.
Tim Howard’s only experience as a starting goalkeeper in the World Cup came in 2010 in South Africa. In that tournament, Howard earned the Man of the Match performance when the US tied England 1-1. His feed to Landon Donovan in the first-round game against Algeria led to the winning goal, advancing the team to the next round.
Read other United States men's national soccer team Player Profiles.
Club Experience
Tim Howard started his professional career with the New York MetroStars in 1998, splitting his time with the US Olympic Team. In 2001, he became the youngest winner of the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award, leading the league with four shutouts and 146 saves.
In 2003, English club team Manchester United bought Howard from the MetroStars with a $4 million transfer fee. Howard took the first string position from World Champion French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez. In his first season, Howard was named in the best XI in the Premier English League.
In 2006, Tim Howard was loaned to Everton, another English club team, for a year. Halfway through the season, Everton offered him a deal, and he took it. Howard's played with them ever since, and is under contract until 2018. In 2009 he made two penalty shot saves against his former team Manchester United, helping Everton advance to the FA Cup finals. In 2012, he scored on a 102-yard clearance against the Bolton Wanderers, with an assist from the wind. The goal made him the fourth goalkeeper to score in the English Premier League. Everton won that game 2-1.
Latest News
Howard played in his 100th international game a week ago last Saturday, the US team's final World Cup warmup against Nigeria. He is a team leader whose performance will help determine the team's success in the tournament. A strong showing in Brazil will likely cement him among the best American goalkeepers ever, a list that already includes Tony Meola, Kasey Keller and Brad Friedel. It could also help a gutsy US squad sneak into the next round.
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J.L. Herrera is a huge fan of football and has been following the Raiders since the 1980s during the LA era. J.L. is also a freelance writer and copywriter on the web. He taught English for a little more than a decade in Los Angeles at the secondary level. While writing for web-based news outlets, J.L. enjoys reading, creative writing, and watching sports. His work can be found on Examiner.com.