NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
For Tim Howard, this year’s World Cup has come full circle.
Raised in central New Jersey and turned professional in his home state, the World Cup final will take place about 35 miles from where the former U.S. men’s national team goalkeeper grew up.
When the bidding for the final came around, Howard knew exactly where it should be played.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Tim Howard of the United States makes a save during the 2014 FIFA World Cup round of 16 match against Belgium at Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Brazil, July 1, 2014. (Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)
“I heard Dallas, and I like Dallas. Good, good city, but I just said that the World Cup final could only really be in one place, and it had to be in the New York, New Jersey area,” Howard told PK Press Club Digital in a recent interview.
“I’ve never been to a World Cup final. I’ve never been to a World Cup final. I’m 47 years old, I’ve only seen the World Cup final on TV. So, you know, being in New York during this, it’s a little crazy to think about. It pinches my territory a little bit.”
Howard never made it to a World Cup final, because his American teams never made it. In fact, no American team has ever achieved this. And Howard doesn’t expect this one to succeed either.
But there is a milestone this year’s team must reach for the World Cup not to be considered a failure for the Stars and Stripes.
United States goalkeeper Tim Howard plays during a game against Azerbaijan at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California, May 27, 2014. (Michael Burns/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
CHRISTIAN PULISIC LEADS OFFICIAL USMNT WORLD CUP ROSTER AS DIEGO LUNA, TANNER TESSMAN LEFT OUT
“I think we win the group, and we should win the group. So start there,” Howard began. The United States is the top-ranked team in their group which also includes Australia, Paraguay and Turkey.
“I think if you win the group and finish first, in the round of 16 you’ll get a team in third place, which hopefully, as we start to peel back the layers, shouldn’t be better than whatever team you just beat in the knockout stage, right?
From there, it’s house money, Howard said.
“And then I think, if my math is correct, in the round of 16, they’re going to have to roll up their sleeves and beat kind of a bully, a top 10 team in the world, right? But that’s kind of how it should be. And if they can do that, a top 10, top 20 team, then they’ll qualify for the quarterfinals,” he said.
“Now it’s easy on paper. A lot of things need to happen. I think they’re a really talented team. Can they come together and play their best football at the same time? We’ll see. But I think they have the potential to do it.”
Howard is of course hoping this team goes the distance, which could allow for a more even cleanup. Howard knows all of this as a longtime athlete who continues to live a healthy lifestyle and partnered with Lysol ahead of this year’s World Cup.
“I’m not on the field anymore, but I know that after a long game, practice, workout, whatever it is, my clothes stink. I also know that Lysol laundry sanitizer is my absolute choice,” he said. “It kills 99.9% of odor-causing bacteria in laundry. So it’s a natural fit, as you can imagine with all the sweating and training I’ve been doing.”
If Team USA’s tournament doesn’t go as planned, there will be a glimmer of hope, Howard said.
U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard stands on the field before the CONCACAF Gold Cup final against Jamaica at Levi’s Stadium on July 26, 2017. (Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PK Press Club APP
“If the United States men’s national team has a tragic record and fails and doesn’t make it out of the group, soccer will not go backwards in this country. That’s not the case,” he said. “People will be disappointed, but the money, infrastructure and support will still be there.
“They’re just going to be hungrier for success.”
