Photo by Matt West/ISIPhotos.com
By DAN KARELL
In a game with opportunities few and far between, it was the man between the posts who stepped up to keep the U.S. Men’s National Team in the game.
Though he wasn’t tested much in the scoreless draw with Scotland, USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard played with a veteran’s savvy and poise with every Scotland attack. Howard made the save of the game in the 53rd minute, diving to his left to stop a free kick from Scotland midfielder Robert Snodgrass. Howard’s save and overall performance was enough to earn him SBI USMNT Man of the Match. The shutout against Scotland was Howard’s fifth of 2013.
Honorable mention for the honors go to DaMarcus Beasley, who made some important tackles as the last man defending, and Aron Johannsson, who nearly scored on two occasions after entering the match in the 62nd minute. Johannsson, who looked very dangerous running at defenders along with fellow substitute Brek Shea, forced a save from Scotland goalkeeper David Marshall in the 83rd minute and two minutes later, flashed a strike just wide of the far post.
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What do you think of Howard’s USMNT Man of the Match performance? Which USMNT player stood out to you in the draw with Scotland?
Share your thoughts below.
So our MOTM is a Civil War Re-enactor? And now we have Generalisimo and Gen Lee on the team.
Of all the Civil War generals, it occurs to me that a more judicious comparaison could have been attempted. Refering to Howard as Gen Lee is a bit ironic, to say the least….
With his new look, he can form a death metal band!! m/
Really??
It was clear the MOTM was either Brek or the Iceman.
Both had an immediate impact on the game as soon as they step on the pitch.
Brek should have had an assist after the blazing run down the left flak beating his man and make that rather cheeky cutting passing to the top of the box.
Timmy is great and did well but he can’t always be the default go-to guy for the MOTM award when the team plays poorly.
It was a weird game. For long stretches everyone seemed to think the purpose was to pass it back to Bradley, like each pass you made to him you got an extra cupcake or something.
And all he did was pass it backwards or try to lob pass it over the top. It’s no wonder the team scores more goals when he’s not playing.
So… Jones.
Yes, Timmy Howard by default. This match accomplished nothing. It’s really hard to say anyone really hurt their status, and impossible to say anyone helped their status on the NATS, hence an extremely boring nil-nil draw!!
Exactly…by default.
It’s a little embarrassing, isn’t it?
I vote for Brek. He was great.
Time for JK:
Start build up a chemistry of 4: Bradley, Diskerut, Johannsonn, and Altidore
Also send a thank you letter to players for their services during the last 2 years include wishing them a bright future with their clubs: Beasley, Brad Evan, Tores, Gomez, Wondolowsky, E. Johnson, Parkhurst, J.Jones; and if the situation will not change other players should be added to the thank you list: Kjestan, Corona, Orozco, T. Chandler, Lichaj
So, you’re ready to send a thank you note to Lichaj based on one 20-minute cameo appearance in 2 years?
J. Jones and Beasley are probably starters. I’m not sure what they would have to do to not make the plane to Brasil.
David, “if the situation will not change other players should be added to the thank you list: Kjestan, Corona, Orozco, T. Chandler, Lichaj”
Jemery, JJ is always a “work hard” player and put 110% for every game, however his performance is not consistent. We cannot afford starting that kind of player. Painful history for the 2 past WC; Reyna and Clark are example.
Beasley is now too slow and will be eaten up by the world class winger. 70% of his passing is to other defenders or to goal keeper.
eddie johnson has scored in 5 international games since June….why would you get rid a player like that?
I would say Howard and Beasley were 1A and 1B today. Howard had the outstanding save and controlled the box well, but Beasley completely bossed the left side on defense and got forward really well too.
Beasley got the ball forward???
You and I must have been watching different games because I specially saw him pass the ball backwards time and time again.
Beasley is not a left back people.
He was generally pretty far forward throughout the first half, and got up to the endline a handful times. I’m not sure how far forward you want him to go.
Beasley is now too slow and will be eaten up by the world class winger. 70% of his passing is to other defenders or to goal keeper. Time for him to retire from MNT
what left or right back in the pool is faster than Beasley?
time to retire at 31? would you say the same for Donovan and Dempsey?
I’m not sure what game rest of these folks were watching, I can think of quite a few times that Shea missed an opportunity to knock it outside to Beasley for an open cross. Beas was up the field for sure and I’m not sure why he gets so much hate, I thought he did well. Aside from Fabian, I can’t imagine anyone else really challenging him for the left back slot.
Why is Howard making his sex face?
Because Wondo was subbed in.
Ah, understandable. A sex face is a natural face to make when laying eyes upon Wondo.
Okay, so, thinking out loud here…
Bacon is smooth on the ball. He is an exciting player. But in the couple games I have seen him with the Nats, he seems not to connect with the team around him. Obviously, being unfamiliar with his team mates is a factor, but some guys like Diskeruad seemed to step right in and link up.
I have not watched him with his club team so I don’t know how he plays…but there has been just enough to make me wonder. Some guys, including some very good players, seem to drift through on their own. If this suggestion of a tendency is the way he plays, it just means you have to scheme for it.
Or maybe i’m smoking crack.
Yo dawg, I have to disagree vehemently. He had a great give-and-go sequence with Jozy (not in the highlights, probably because it ended up fizzling) yesterday among others, and I can say for sure he was involved in the passing sequence leading to Jozy’s third goal over BiH. He’s constantly working quick passes in the final third and making runs at defenders. He could have finished a bit better yesterday, but overall I’m pretty impressed with the kid.
Stop with the drugs.
You are reading way too much into a very small sample size.
Under JK the US always comes back from long layoffs with a lousy game.
That is one frightening pick of Howard. Some sort of Amish-Bumfight hybrid.
Seems like the match was a bit boring. Glad i watched the portugal game instead
It’s a sad statement when the man of the match is the last line of defense. I agree, there was no other candidate for the honor. As far as lack-luster goes, the Scots had some pretty good moments and the game was entertaining. The US side got hugely better when the substitutes came in, particularly starting around he 80th minute when Wondo came in. He is not flashy like Brek Shea or Aron Johansson, but he defended when needed, and he was in front of the goal when needed. There is just a certain mindset that causes flashiness to get in the way of goal scoring. That type of thinking does not score goals.
It’s even sadder than all he had to do was to make one good, but nothing special, save.
Well you could make a case that a back line that only allowed two chances on the road must have been doing something right.
As lackluster as the U.S. played, they probably should have won this game. They have to put those chances away. A little bit unlucky on them. With a full strength squad, they surely would have won. This doesn’t mean that this group that played today cannot improve because they can. This is the evaluation process in friendlies which decides who will start and who will sit or who will not make the cut. Years passed, a U.S. side missing key players on the road in Europe, would have lost. It will be interesting to see who starts in vs Austria.
Bacon did look good, but on one of those shots Wondow was wide open begging for the ball. Bacon should have passed.
If he would have passed, Wondo would have been a hero.
Wondo is always a hero.
I believe the correct spelling would be “herwo”.
bacon and iceman are some of the worst nicknames ive ever heard. Imma stay calling him aj
The first couple times, ok, kind of funny. It’s now months after Aron decided to join the USMNT and people still call him Bacon. It’s past being funny, and it’s not his name. Maybe I just don’t get it.
Who’s Aron?
What was your horrible nickname that you got teased with your whole life?
Unfortunately, I have to agree. Howard.
Yeah but whose that homeless guy minding the net?
Are you kidding? The only thing better than a solid keeper is one that looks batsh*t crazy.
Lol Howard is awesome!
He’s been taking lessons in lunacy from Jens Lehmann.