Photo by Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
By RYAN TOLMICH
Following his heroics at the 2014 World Cup, Tim Howard opted to take a break from the U.S. Men’s National Team. Now, over one year later, the goalkeeper is ready to make his return.
Howard announced Wednesday that he is once again ready to play for the USMNT after taking a sabbatical from the international game following last summer’s tournament. Hoping to return some time in the fall, Howard could be back as soon as the USMNT’s Sept. 4 friendly against Peru.
“I spoke to coach Klinsmann and we have had open lines of communication as recently as last week,” Howard said. “We spoke but obviously they are very busy with the Gold Cup at the moment.We will speak again after that tournament finishes and I will make myself available for selection. We will see where we go from there.
“I have missed it. It was a tough decision to make. It has been a good break, but all it has done is really fueled my fire. I have missed the boys, the competition and playing in front of the U.S. fans.”
Howard returns to a USMNT team that looks vastly different than the one he left, with fellow Premier League goalkeeper Brad Guzan having stepped in admirably to fill the role as No. 1. strong throughout the Gold Cup, Guzan has impressed as the U.S. is set to take on Jamaica in the semifinals of the tournament.
Now two games away from a Gold Cup trophy, Howard is just hoping his teammates can succeed in claiming yet another trophy, one that would prove vital for the team well after Howard returns to don his USMNT jersey.
“The boys are doing well and it is a tournament that, in previous years, we have had some success in,” Howard said. “This is a big year, as it could be our entrance into the Confederations Cup in 2017.
“Winning the tournament would help us continue going in the right direction. Part of that is staying on top of the region and dominating year in and year out. That’s what the fans expect, and we have set the bar high enough to expect that of ourselves.”
Don’t want him to play!!! He bowed out at the right time in his career. He should not come back!!!!!!
Making this Announcement during an International tournament in which your nation is still competing doesn’t seem right but he is not the only U.S. keeper to cross the line today.
Guzan didn’t do himself any favors with tonight’s performance. You could honestly blame him for the game winning goal yes it was a nice free kick but his gaffe to set it up was costly. The 1st goal he retreated nicely but why was he even that far out to begin? I like Brad but his distribution is nowhere as good as Howards.
Glo.. agree @ Brad’s distribution weakness. It’s been his achilles at his club team and was similarly in the MLS. His distribution in the entire GC has just been average.
Regardless, I consider him our solid #1.
Blaming Guzan for both goals is a bit much and doesn’t give Mattocks and Barnes any credit for what were great efforts on their part.
Besides I’ve seen Timmy give up cheaper goals for the US.. And I must say that handball call on Guzan was about as rare as it gets.Guzan didn’t lose that game for the US.
The US did enough to win that game. They didn’t lose it so much as Jamaica went out and took it.
Tim Howard has never been the winning keeper in a Gold Cup final.
That’s a startling fact and reminds me of another: Javier Hernandez has never scored against the US.
Both make you do a double take.
Dempsey has never scored against Mexico, IIRC
I’d prefer that Guzan stays the #1. It’s his time now. However, he does need to win back his starting job at Aston Villa. If not … then Tim slides right in. JK might do what he did in Germany … rotate Guzan and Howard just like he did Kahn and Lehmann … then name Guzan #1 for the World Cup like he did Lehmann.
What will be interesting will be watching how JK handles the TH sabbatical, in comparison to how he handled Lando’s.
Brad Guzan is our #1 until being unseated. Timmy has a lot to show and produce to regain his spot, similarly to how JK treated Donovan imho Howard’s age issue will also a viable issue looking forward, and it’s been JK’s specific and primarily stated goal, to develop our WC cycle. So the Tim Howard discussion might just be an early case of overhype.
Regardless, Tim Howard has been a USMNT heroic figure and he does deserve the respect to be given considerations post sabbatical and a fair chance to regain his spot moving forward.. but a bigger story of interest with me, might be following the younger keepers in the mix.
I find it more interesting people comparing the “sabbaticals” of Howard and Donovan.
If both start for their club teams, whoever is playing the best will be our GK.
If one starts, and one is on the bench, the decision is a lot easier.
WHEN IS JURGUN GROWING A BEARD
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by the clown comments calling Tim classless. These are the same folks who found every reason they could to hate on LD too. Just like LD was good enough to play in Brazil, Timmy is still the best keeper in our player pool, so hopefully he regains the #1 shirt right away.
right.. how is this upsetting? we all knew this months ago.. “how dare Tim Howard send Jurgen Klinnsmann an email during the Gold Cup!” … ya i guess this story could have waited a couple days or are they upset that a goalkeeper took a well timed step aside to let an equally good goalkeeper get his well deserved run with the #1 shirt?
going forward idk who is better! we always have this issue with gkps!
I don’t see ANY evidence that Tim Howard is still the best GK in the USMNT player pool. He was a YEAR ago but that’s an eternity in international soccer. If he is, let him prove it. There’s a new #1 now.
Howard didn’t have his best season this year but neither did Guzan – he was actually dropped towards the end of the season. Guzan hasn’t had to do a whole lot at the Gold Cup so far. Personally, I don’t see any evidence Guzan has overtaken Timmy. Now that he’s back I guess we’ll see what happens.
Guzan’s backline was atrocious last year.
Timmy is the best keeper in our player pool according to whom? You? The British seem to rate Guzan much higher from their performances in this last Premier League season:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/babb/11628027/Ranking-the-Premier-League-goalkeepers-of-the-season.html
At 36, I doubt Timmy is going to improve. Guzan is our new #1.
Your obviously new to this if you think you can do anything other than take what the British fans and journos say with a grain of salt!!! They’d gang up on their own family members if they could and plus i think every keeper is entitled to a less than stellar season and furthermore a lot of keepers who competed at the WC last summer had an up and down year! A non story here, TH will be #1 soon enough!
How about a link showing some credible evidence to your claim that TH had a better Premiere League season than Guzan? The Telegraph is paying someone(s) for their expertise on judging soccer talent. Who is paying you for yours?
Since when does publicated journalism mean credible source/writing haha??? People get paid for services they should never get paid for all time because they’re bad at what they do, so what! The Telegraph doesn’t have to pay me for anything, i have my own set of eyes! You can continue to stay naive and fall victim to the things you read while i’ll continue to watch the games for my own answers! Listen these threads are opinion based but to cite a link from the UK regarding football is the silliest thing you could do and lastly, i never said TH had a better year than BG, but because player A has a better year than player B should that be the end all be all in determining the #1 spot permanently??
I’m so happy we have your enlightened opinion. You have your own set of eyes and don’t trust the British. How profound. How about this: http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/stats?competition=1
Guzan had many more saves and clean sheets than Howard in this most recent season. Where is your recent evidence?
Oh boy!!!! Just when you start to give people the benefit of the doubt, where is your reading comprehension skills man haha?? Again, i never said that TH had a better season than BG and i also never said that Guzan shouldn’t be the starting USNT goalie right now!! It is MY OPINION that Howard is better overall and that in due time he will once again be the starting keeper! I don’t need credible sources to tell me what i think, who had the better season is irrelevant to my point! Stay on topic please!!!
And by “The British” you mean one article from one newspaper? Um, OK.
It’s a British publication, isn’t it? How about providing a link from any respectable publication British or non showing some credible evidence to the contrary? The Telegraph is paying someone(s) for their expertise on judging soccer talent. Who is paying you for yours?
No one, which is why I look for more than one credible source before making a sweeping pronouncement.
How about this: http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/stats?competition=1
Guzan had many more saves and clean sheets than Howard in this most recent season. Where is your credible source?
Hopefully he’s cool with a backup role.
Very classless of Howard…could have wait until after the tournament was over.
Hopefully this doesn’t become a trend of our players needing to take a break for the NT, look very weak in my opinion.
Never know when Guzan might pick up an injury. Having a 1a and 1b option in March of 2013 was huge as Guzan stepped in and allowed 0 goals and picked up 4 points vs the other two best teams in qualifying.
How Jurgen uses them in the friendlies btw the GC and Copa will be interesting, id expect a rotation with the Copa job on the line.
I’d expect JK to favor the one he likes more, that’s generally what he does. He will give the #2 some chances and use them to keep #1 honest. He will use #2 if he has to. But I don’t see some sort of equal time approach.
I think it would have classier to wait until after the Gold Cup to say this.
The is Guzan’s right now let this ride and announce this a few days before selection of the next roster.
It has the feel of the big brother looking over and saying.. Nope that’s mine I don’t care if ur playing with it and doing something rad.
I hear you. I cannot help but feel the same way.
But I would like to think it is more about Howard knowing that the USMNT is knee deep in this tourney right now and his competitive drive makes him want to be there real bad.
Less about him seeing Brad as a threat.
Plus, I would like to think this was a reaction from a reporter’s question rather than him make a proactive announcement.
Whatever. At the end of the day, this is a great thing. Personally, I believe Howard is a legend and our best keeper in history (very debatable, I know). But I would like to see Guzan take the reigns.
Either way, it creates competition among these guys and that is all you can ask for. It is a win/win for the team – as long as it does not become hostile.
I agree with this, JK plays his little roster game where he talks to the players beforehand but often announces the callups last minute. So he can contact JK and establish the link without one-upping his own team in a tournament in progress.
That being said, conspiracy theory, wouldn’t it be very “JK” to place incumbent players under pressure to keep them honest? Now Guzan feels him breathing down his neck. Now the backups know the roster is going to get tighter. That sort of Ayn Rand-motivation has already been done to Altidore and Dempsey.
With field players, I can see it. Keepers are different. A field player can translate a confidence hit into extra work, extra focus, etc. Most keepers already are head cases and any hit to confidence usually translates into more goals.
What is one of the worst things a warming up player can do? Score on his own keeper – that’s why if the warm-up includes shooting, often the team will have a backup taking shots in goal. And it’s also why occasionally cheap players early in games will take a yellow card for poking a dead ball into the net. Once the window is broken, it’s broken.
Agreed. Guzan doesn’t need to be thinking about anything but tonight’s game, and hopefully the finals soon after. I can’t fault Howard too much, but would have been classier and potentially better for the team to give it a week.
It would have been more appropriate for him to ride off into the sunset after his heroic World Cup performance versus Belgium. It’s Brad’s team now. This may tarnish his legacy. This is all just my opinion however…
He’s going to tarnish his legacy by being available for the USMNT? Huh?
Joe,
Legacy is one thing.
Career is another. And it is Hpward;s career.
Going out on top makes a nice memory for you, the fan but athletes look at it from another perspective.
He isn’t playing for you, he is playing for himself and , as we often hear from retired athletes you may as well play until they won’t let you play anymore because once you stop it is almost impossible to go back.
Having Timmy back will push Guzan and everyone else to be better so there is no down side.unless Timmy does not start and turns into an entitled former rock star.
But I doubt he is like that.
Plus, I’m sure in his mind he thinks he can play in 2018 and plans to go out on top then.
That’s a nice plan. Reminds me of another big name in the twilight of his career that had similar aspirations. Don Ovan, I believe.
Tim Howard is 36 and still playing decent for Everton. Keller played for the US til 38. As with Dempsey and Bradley I am fine with us playing him until the wheels come off.
Now, Guzan may give him a run for his money and may have been given an opening he gets to exploit. And who knows if JK gives him the Donovan treatment.
Guzan rides the roller coaster in terms of playing well or poor so I don’t buy it’s “Brad’s team.” Seen any games where he just dominated?
Tim, yeah, many where he dominated.
Brad, not so much.
Both great. I like Tim better.
TimH is a great goal stopper, but he has issues with coming out on a breakaway and handling/intercepting high balls.
Yeah that’s definitely hindering his career….are you serious right now? Who are you to analyze him? Show me your credentials. And turn in your badge and your weapon
he was terrible for everton last year. The only reason why he didn’t get benched was because joel robles is terrible.
What does this have to do with Donovan? What type of treatment are you talking about?
Anyone comparing Howard’s notified “break” to Donovan’s non-notification “breakdown” is a joke.
It is absolutely comparable and if you don’t think it is than the jokes on you!!! They both took sabbaticals at important times for the USMNT. You can almost almost say that being with the team for the Gold Cup is comparable to WCQ in that winning the GC gets you to the Confed Cup which is extremely important to the run up to the WC because it serves as a dry run to what teams should expect once they get to the WC, which is very advantageous! So tell me what was the difference in your eyes??? That one went to Cambodia to recharge the batteries and the other wanted to spend more time with the family to recharge the batteries??? Smells the same to me and more importantly lets stop acting like the US were in danger of not qualifying for Brazil in the early stages of WCQ w/o Donovan, which to me is what a lot of people were up and arms about!!
That one went to Cambodia to recharge the batteries and the other wanted to spend more time with the family to recharge the batteries??? Smells the same to me
One had an existential crisis of commitment, character and left both his club, and national team in limbo. The other gave a professional courtesy and mature notification while still abiding to his club commitment.
The only “smell” is your B.S. in trying to convince yourself they’re the same. I also find it laughable you’re conveniently wanting to leave out the timing comparison, too.
Jokes.
So i’m guessing you knew LD personally to be questioning his character right?? You need to judge your own character while your at it, if his club coach accepted him back with open arms and they then proceeded to win another championship together then i don’t think that leaves you much room to judge LD on. You can say im bsing all you want but the fact of the matter is i don’t have to convince myself of anything, the proof lied in all the negative comments directed at LD for years by people like yourself judging him for not wanting to spend his years in european leagues, again questioning his character. I personally think it took more guts to stay home for basically his whole career! The only people that had a problem with what he did are the people that never liked him to begin with and that includes JK and its a good thing Donovans decisions weren’t influenced by the likes of your pessimism!
The only people that had a problem with what he did are the people that never liked him to begin with and that includes JK and its a good thing Donovans decisions weren’t influenced by the likes of your pessimism!
I’ve always liked Donovan and consider him the greatest player to suit up for the Nats but that doesn’t make me immune to calling a spade a spade.
You using exclamation points and proclaiming I’ve judged him for not wanting to go play in Europe (when I’ve been a champion of our Nats playing within MLS) makes you appear as someone who follows a celebrity on Twitter and feels, by extension, like you “know him” and become offended when people give their view you deem to be negative.
You’re right, I don’t know him personally, but neither do you. Stop acting like he’s your friend and you’re tasked with defending his honor.
Howard was professional. Donovan was not. It’s that simple.
People tend not to ride off into the sunset after a loss, no matter how noble it was.
Always good to have a great goalkeeper back with the national team
Always good to have a great back-up goalkeeper with the national team
too bad sucka, your job is taken
which is what Guzan will be again once Timmaayy comes back so let’s not kid ourselves!!!
Howard really needs to work on his foot distribution… Guzan is good, Yarborough aint bad.. even the young GK in the U-20 has a more accurate and stronger kick.
Tim’s return to the team would be great for a number of reasons:
1) It would push Brad and make sure he’s at the top of his game.
2) Would finally put Rimando out to pasture. I’ve never felt confident with Nick as the # 2 keeper.
3) Gives Yarbrough, Hamid, Johnson another good mentor to develop from.