U.S. recovers on England’s fumble
Reporting from Rustenburg, South Africa -- The bad news for Tim Howard arrived four minutes into Saturday’s World Cup match between the U.S. and England at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium.
That’s when the American defense sprang a leak and England’s Steven Gerrard slotted the ball past Howard in the U.S. goal.
The bad news for Robert Green arrived five minutes before halftime. That’s when Clint Dempsey double-faked Gerrard and hit a shot that Green somehow contrived to fumble into his own net.
As far as goals go, that was it. The match ended in a 1-1 tie, which was a huge plus for the underdog U.S. and a huge blow to the ego of World Cup contender England and its fans.
But it wasn’t the end of the bad news.
For David James, it arrived even before the kickoff, when England Coach Fabio Capello told him he would not be starting, that he had decided to give Green the nod instead.
For Marcus Hahnemann, it arrived about a half-hour into the game. That’s when England forward Emile Heskey made a lunge for the ball and caught Howard square in the ribs. Howard stayed down, and for a moment Hahnemann thought he would be sent on as a substitute and thus make his World Cup debut.
But Howard is a durable sort and he ignored the pain and continued.
If Saturday night’s game in front of a crowd of 38,646 was the story of anything, it was the story of goalkeepers and goalkeeping, and the tale might still have a twist.
If Howard feels the aftereffects of his clash with Heskey, he could miss the second U.S. game, against Slovenia in Johannesburg on Friday.
If Capello decides that Green’s miscue was a troubling sign that might be repeated, he could replace him with James for England’s second game, against Algeria in Cape Town, also on Friday. Green did make a big second-half save on Jozy Altidore, getting an assist from the right post.
As always, all of the incidents and all the aftermath were liberally sprinkled with comment by the parties involved.
Would Howard miss the Slovenia game?
“We’ll assess over the next few days how he’s feeling,” U.S. Coach Bob Bradley said.
Had Heskey fouled Howard when he made a stab for the ball, and how painful was the collision?
“It felt like agony, you know,” Howard said. “I knew Heskey was going to slide into me. He had every right to go for that ball the same as I did. You just leave yourself exposed when you’re at full stretch.
“He came in and caught me just under my chest and my ribs. Initially, I was in a lot of pain and I was only going to give myself five or 10 minutes to see if I could get through it. I was in a lot of discomfort, but some pain medication at halftime eased it a little bit.”
Would Capello send Green to the bench for his faux pas?
“We have time to decide,” England’s Italian coach said. “We have time to speak with [the coaching] team. After, I will decide.”
Had Dempsey believed his not-particularly fierce shot would find its way into the net?
“I hit it with my left,” he said. “I hit it well, but I hit it right in the center of goal. At the last minute it did look like it moved a little bit, because these balls move all over the place, but still it’s a shot you’d think the keeper would make a save on. At the same time I’ll take it because that’s the second goal I’ve scored in the World Cup.”
What did Green have to say about it all?
“That’s life,” he said, “and you move on. You have to hold your head up high and get to work in training. . . . I’m strong enough to take it. We’ll be ready for the next game.”
How did Howard feel about Green’s blunder?
“I feel terrible for him but, unfortunately, those things happen. Goalkeepers have to have broad shoulders.”
What did James think of Howard’s exceptional man-of-the-match performance?
“He had a save halfway through the first half that was brave and important,” James said. “If we go two-nil up, the game’s a bit of a breeze from there. So credit to Tim Howard. He’s a class act.”
What did Hahnemann make of Howard’s clash with Heskey and Green’s clash with the ball?
“That’s the life of a goalkeeper. We have to throw ourselves at it, and Timmy did his job.
“Robert Green’s a great keeper, I’ve seen him play a lot of times. Any time you let a goal in that you think you shouldn’t, it’s frustrating. But with the scrutiny that the England players are under, it’s going to be tough for him, but he’s a good keeper and he’ll get through it.”
They always do. Goalkeepers are a different breed and a close-knit fraternity. One of the best was on display Saturday night.
