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For Tim Howard, this year’s World Cup is a coming full circle moment.
Raised in central New Jersey and turning professional in his home state, the World Cup final will take place approximately 35 miles from where the former United States Men’s National Team goalkeeper grew up.
When the bidding for the final took place, Howard knew exactly where it had to be played.
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Tim Howard of the United States makes a save during the 2014 FIFA World Cup round of 16 match against Belgium at the Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Brazil, on July 1, 2014. (Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)
“I heard Dallas, and I love Dallas. Good, good city, but I just said that the World Cup final could only be held in one place, and it had to be in the New York, New Jersey area,” Howard told Pak Gazette 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 television. So, you know, being in New York during that, it’s kind of crazy to think about. It’s kind of pinching me territory.”
Howard has never been to a World Cup final because his U.S. teams never made it to one. In fact, no American team has ever done it. And Howard doesn’t exactly expect this one to get it either.
But there is a mark that this year’s team must reach so that the World Cup is not considered a failure for the Stars and Stripes.
United States goalkeeper Tim Howard plays during a match against Azerbaijan at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California, on May 27, 2014. (Michael Burns/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
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“I think we won the group, and we should win the group. So let’s start there,” Howard began. The United States is the highest-ranked team in its group that also includes Australia, Paraguay and Türkiye.
“I think if you win the group and finish first, in the round of 32, you’ll get a third-place team, which hopefully, as we start to clear the layers, should be no better than whatever team you just beat in the knockout stage, right?”
From then on, house money will be money, Howard said.
“And then I think, if my calculations are correct, in the round of 16 they’re going to have to roll up their sleeves and beat a bully, a top 10 team in the world, right? But that’s how it should be. And if they can do that, a top 10, top 20 team, then they’ll make it to the quarterfinals,” he said.
“Now, that’s easy on paper. A lot of things have to happen. I think this is 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 that.”
Howard, of course, hopes this team goes all the way, which can provide additional even cleanliness. Howard knows all about it as a lifelong athlete who continues to lead 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, my clothes stink. I also know that Lysol Laundry Sanitizer is my absolute go-to,” he said. “It kills 99.9% of odor-causing bacteria on clothes. So it’s a natural combination, as you can imagine with all the sweat and exercise I did.”
However, if Team USA’s tournament doesn’t go as planned, there is a silver lining, Howard said.
United States goalkeeper Tim Howard is on the field before the CONCACAF Gold Cup final against Jamaica at Levi’s Stadium on July 26, 2017. (Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports)
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“If the United States Men’s National Team has a tragic summary, and fails, and does not leave the group, soccer is not going to go backwards in this country. It is not,” he said. “People will be disappointed, but the money, infrastructure and support will still be there.
“They’re just going to be more hungry for success.”
