Howard Could Get His Chance
The United States, coming off an impressive 4-0 soccer victory over Honduras in Seattle last weekend, plays fellow World Cup finalist Ecuador today in Birmingham, Ala.
The 1 p.m. game--to be shown live on ABC and Telemundo and broadcast by the Futbol de Primera radio network--could see New York/New Jersey MetroStar goalkeeper Tim Howard make his national team debut.
That’s because last Saturday’s starter, Kasey Keller, has been recalled by his English club team, Tottenham Hotspur, much to his displeasure.
“The club is cutting my time short so I can come back and sit on the bench against Manchester United and Chelsea,” an angry Keller told England’s Evening Standard newspaper after Tottenham Coach Glenn Hoddle said the U.S. keeper, a backup at Spurs, could not stay for the Honduras and Ecuador games.
That leaves the door open for Howard, who turned 23 on Wednesday, to stake his claim to the No. 3 goalkeeper spot at the World Cup this summer behind Keller and Brad Friedel, who is in England trying to help his club, Blackburn Rovers, out of relegation danger.
“I don’t know what my chances are,” Howard told the New York Daily News.
“There are some things I have to improve on and that I have to be able to prove.
“You look at Brad and Kasey and they’re world-class goalkeepers. That’s a high standard to look up to. That’s something I won’t be at for several years.”
The U.S. also will be without defender Eddie Pope, defensive midfielder Richie Williams and winger Bobby Convey, who returned to their Major League Soccer club, D.C. United, which played a midweek CONCACAF Champions Cup game in Guatemala.
Defenders Gregg Berhalter and Jeff Agoos and winger DaMarcus Beasley are nursing injuries sustained against Honduras.
Ecuador will be missing its captain, Ivan Hurtado, because of an ankle injury, and striker Agustin Delgado, whose nine goals in qualifying play helped Ecuador reach the World Cup for the first time, did not make the trip because he is recovering from knee surgery.
Striker Angel Fernandez also is injured, but forward Ivan Kaviedes, who scored the goal against Uruguay that clinched Ecuador’s spot in Japan/Korea ‘02, will likely start.
Ecuador, which defeated World Cup-bound Turkey, 1-0, last month, is 4-0-4 against the U.S. in a series dating from 1984.
The teams played to a 0-0 tie in June in Columbus, Ohio.
