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MOTM: Tim Howard

Mark HallamJuly 2, 2014

US fans got a taste of the future against Belgium when teenager Julian Green scored off the bench, but it was veteran goalkeeper Tim Howard who stole the show and frustrated Belgium on multiple occasions.

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WM 2014 Achtelfinale USA Belgien
Image: Getty Images

Tim Howard's been around the block, playing for winning and losing teams alike, but even he must have felt like he was wearing a crosshair on his jersey on Tuesday (01.07.2014). Belgium peppered the bearded baldie's goal with a total of 38 shots, starting in the very first minute of the game.

Howard had some help: the woodwork kept one shot out, another 10 missed the goal altogether, and nine were blocked by defenders.

However, the 16 saves were the work of one man. Facing the third-youngest team at the World Cup, 35-year-old Howard batted away ball after ball. Even the save statistic doesn't tell the whole story of his night. He had 19 corners to deal with over the 120 minutes and played 50 passes in the course of the match.

WM 2014 Achtelfinale USA Belgien Tor
Even Lukaku, a late sub, only beat Howard on a third attemptImage: Reuters

Thibaut Courtois, touted by many as a future world goalkeeper of the year, will have watched attentively as his opposite number put on a show. Belgium captain Vincent Kompany perhaps put it most succinctly after the game.

'I believe'

Howard had taken to Twitter prior to the match with the supporters' mantra "I … I believe … I believe that," which ultimately wraps up with: "I believe that we will win!" He played like he did. And he surely made an unprecedented proportion of around 320 million people believe with him for more than 90 minutes.

The Everton veteran did everything but score, something he has done in his time in Liverpool, to help his side progress past Belgium. Even the scorers for the Red Devils, Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, were both foiled by Howard long before besting him.

For many players, 35 is around the age when it's time to call it a day, but goalkeepers have always had a longer shelf life.

The unquestioned US number 1 in goal, Howard will certainly have his eyes on the special centenary edition of the Copa America in 2016. To mark the 100th anniversary of South American football federation CONMEBOL, the tournament will relocate north, to be held in the United States. The US will therefore qualify as hosts, along with other teams from CONMEBOL's North American and Caribbean counterpart CONCACAF.

However, the veteran's still a clear first choice between the sticks for Everton, where his current contract runs until the summer of 2018. Perhaps the US' number 1 believer also has his eyes on a trip to Russia four years from now.