PHILADELPHIA — They love Tim Howard at Everton and still greatly respect him in Manchester, England, where the American was goalkeeper for United, the most famous soccer team in the world.
But in February, at Vancouver, did the most loyal Devils fan have much sympathy for Marty Brodeur, that Canadian has-been letting in everything to the United States short of a Dr. Anthony Galea drug shipment? So on June 11, when the U.S World Cup team opens against England, Howard expects at best to be some guy from South Brunswick, N.J., and, at worst, the biggest traitor since George Washington.
“Oh, yeah, Brits are so passionate about the sport and their team,” Howard said. “Ronaldo was public No. 1 enemy in England last World Cup.”
Of course Ronaldo, the Portuguese star whom Manchester United made the richest soccer player ever, allegedly successfully argued on the field for the dismissal of English superstar Wayne Rooney for laying out a Portuguese player, then was caught on camera afterward winking at the Portuguese bench. The following media storm led Ronaldo to ask for, and gain, his transfer to Real Madrid.
Yesterday, Howard spent the first half of the USA’s 2-1 friendly win here over Turkey doing no winking, rather alternately encouraging and angrily lecturing an American backline that, with three players coming off recent injuries, did not look ready to beat Antarctica, let alone England.
“I’m normally agitated,” Howard later said with a smile. “That’s me.
“One breakdown they don’t score you get lucky, the second time you get punished. That happened too many times in the first half where they got into really dangerous areas.”
No more Mr. Nice Guy for this nice guy. Guaranteed, in 13 days The Queen surely will see nothing lovable, either, about this Yank who is yanking England’s chain about not having any secret book on its shooters from seven seasons in the Premier League.
“If people had figured out Rooney and those guys then they wouldn’t be as great as they are,” Howard said. “I have played enough against them that I feel I have a little bit of an advantage but it’s not huge and it’s probably the opposite.
“With the unknown you probably are carefree and gung ho. Knowing what I know about them sometimes [might make one] a little bit cautious.”
Knowing what we know about this belated power-fit of key U.S. back-end parts makes us cautious about predicting big things against England, or even guaranteeing safe passage in the final two games of Group C play against Slovenia and Algeria. But the U.S. was a different team in the second half, when goals by Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey off two Landon Donovan setups were preserved by Howard’s leaping punch of Hamit Altintop’s bender over the crossbar in the 84th minute.
The U.S. team boarded the plane today for South Africa and one last friendly against Australia feeling better about itself, not that any of its anxiety has been about its goalkeeper.
The goalkeeper also is not lacking in confidence.
“I feel very fortunate,” said Howard, the backup to Kasey Keller on the 2006 U.S. team. “I was blessed with a tremendous opportunity at Everton. I feel part of the fabric there.
“And this is where I kind of expected to be. It’s a coming together of a lifelong goal but at the same time, without any arrogance, it was an expectation on my part to be in this position. That’s what drove me and that’s what continues to drive me.”
Maybe even as much as it would drive the Brits crazy to be beaten at soccer by an American. Especially their own American.