If the United States is to repeat its quarterfinal run at the 2002 FIFA World Cup next year in South Africa, then former MetroStars goalkeeper Tim Howard will have to be at the peak of his considerable powers. The same applies to his club side Everton on Saturday against highly favored Chelsea in English soccer's showpiece event: the FA Cup Final.
Howard is the quintessential MLS success story, the New Jersey kid who made good after getting his start with his home-state MetroStars. The 2001 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, Howard moved to English giants Manchester United in 2003. His fairy tale beginning at the Theatre of Dreams, a match-winning penalty-shootout save in the Community Shield season curtain-raiser against Arsenal, turned into a nightmare when his error against FC Porto led to United's elimination from the 2004 UEFA Champions League.
While that experience marred his tenure at Old Trafford, it didn't stop him from winning back the starting job for the 2004 FA Cup Final: a 3-0 win for United against Millwall that earned Howard the distinction of being the first U.S. player to be part of an FA Cup-winning team. The following year, Howard was back on the bench as United lost in the 2005 final to Arsenal.
On Saturday, he looks to double his FA Cup medal-winning tally. This time he will be playing for Everton, and there is no question that he will be the Toffees' starting goalkeeper. Since moving to Merseyside (initially on loan) in 2006, Howard has made the goalkeeper's position his own at Goodison Park. This season, he has also established himself as one of the Premierships premier 'keepers, playing every minute of Everton's EPL and FA Cup campaigns while posting a team record 17 EPL shutouts and stoning Manchester United in the FA Cup semifinal penalty shootout.
In typically modest style, Howard recently told the Liverpool Daily Post that he credits his success to his back four and another former MLS player, his goalkeeping coach Chris Woods.
"He keeps me level-headed," Howard said of Woods. "He was an unbelievable player in his own time and as a coach he is second none."
Woods, who played for the Colorado Rapids in MLS's 1996 inaugural season, has been coaching Everton's 'keepers since 1998. The former England international describes Howard as "the ultimate professional."
Howard's professionalism and world class shot-stopping skills earned him 2008 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year honors, and he's already a front-runner for the title again this year following his outstanding performances for club and country. While that award won't be decided for some time, one thing is for certain: Everton will be counting on its ultimate professional against Chelsea on Saturday, as will the U.S. national team for the foreseeable future.
Around the EPL
On the last day of the EPL season, Howard posted his 17th Premiership shutout of the campaign at Craven Cottage as Everton beat
Clint Dempsey's
Fulham 2-0. With that result, Everton clinched fifth place in the standings. Despite its loss, Fulham finished seventh in the EPL and qualified for a Europa League berth next season. Dempsey, like his U.S. national teammate Howard, had his best season in England this year, scoring seven EPL goals to tie with Andy Johnson as Fulham's top marksman. Dempsey and Howard were also both selected by Bob Bradley for the U.S. squad to play Costa Rica (June 3) and Honduras (June 6) in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying games.
About a two-hour drive up the M1 from Craven Cottage, at Villa Park, Brad Friedel posted his 13th EPL shutout of the season as Aston Villa beat Newcastle United 1-0, a result that doomed the Magpies to relegation for the first time in 16 years. Like Howard's Everton and Dempsey's Fulham, Friedel's Villa team also qualified for a Europa League spot, finishing sixth in the EPL standings.
Friedel's backup, former Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan, was also named to the U.S. 24-man squad for next month's World Cup qualifying games. Guzan has seen little playing time at Villa Park since his move to Birmingham last summer, his only EPL appearance coming at Liverpool when Friedel was sent off in the second half of a 5-0 drubbing for the Villans.
Ryan Nelsen missed Blackburn's last game of the season, a 0-0 home tie with already-relegated West Bromwich Albion, due to a torn calf muscle suffered in the 2-0 loss to Chelsea the week before. The former D.C. United defender will also miss the FIFA Confederations Cup next month in South Africa. Nelsen had earlier been named to captain New Zealand at the tournament that serves as a rehearsal for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
North of the Border in Scotland
The last day of the Scotish Premier League season saw
Maurice Edu
help Rangers win their first SPL title since 2005 with a convincing 3-0 victory at Dundee United. The former Toronto FC starlet was a major force in midfield for the Light Blues down the stretch run as Rangers overhauled archrivals Celtic. Since his return to the starting lineup on April 8 at St. Mirren, Edu has played every minute of Rangers' last 10 games. On Sunday
The News of the World
hailed Edu's first season in Scotland as "a star-spangled success." He is expected to start on Saturday in the Scottish FA Cup Final at Hampden Park against Falkirk.
Celebration mingled with relief for Andy Dorman's St. Mirren side on Saturday. A 1-0 home loss to Hamilton meant that St. Mirren needed help to avoid relegation. That assistance came in the form of a 1-0 victory by Falkirk at Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The victory lifted Falkirk out of the relegation zone and dumped Inverness into the bottom spot. St. Mirren and Inverness finished tied on 37 points, but the Saints escaped the drop on goal differential. Dorman finished the season as St. Mirren's top goal scorer with 10 SPL goals.
Elsewhere in Europe
On the last day of the season in Germany,
Michael Bradley's
Borussia Moenchengladbach gained the point they needed on Saturday to secure Bundesliga survival for another season with a 1-1 home tie with Borussia Dortmund. In an impressive first season in Germany's top flight, Bradley scored five goals in 28 Bundesliga games for Gladbach.
In Germany's second-tier 2.Bundesliga, Matt Taylor's TuS Koblenz escaped the relegation zone by the narrowest of margins: goal differential, despite losing 4-0 at already-relegated FC Ingolstadt. The ex-Kansas City Wizards and Chivas USA forward was back on the bench for Koblenz after making his first start in nearly a month the previous week.
In France, Carlos Bocanegra's Rennes continued to put pressure on Toulouse and Paris Saint-Germain for a Europa League qualification place with a 3-1 home win over Lorient on Saturday. With one game left in the season, Rennes stand two points shy of a Europa League spot. But the former Chicago Fire man's team will face a tough challenge to bring European soccer to Brittany next season, having to travel to Marseille on the last day. Marseille, currently second in Ligue 1, need a victory on Saturday to have any chance of edging Bordeaux for the French title.
Bob Bradley named Bocanegra and Freddy Adu to the U.S. national team squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifying games against Costa Rica and Honduras next month. As reports continue to circulate that Monaco will not renew Adu's loan deal, seeing him return to Benfica in Portugal, the former wunderkind was not even on the bench for Monaco's 1-0 defeat at league leaders Bordeaux on Saturday. Reportedly, Adu has been given leave to miss Monaco's last-day game at Paris Saint-Germain to join the U.S. national team camp in Miami.
In Italy, Los Angeles Galaxy on-loan superstar David Beckham was substituted at halftime of AC Milan's 3-2 home defeat to AS Roma. The game marked the last home match of legendary Milan and Italy defender Paolo Maldini. If reports are to be believed it might also have marked the last game at the San Siro for Milan head coach Carlo Ancelotti. He is said to be heading to Chelsea, where, other reports suggest, that Beckham could join him next January. Beckham's last game of his current Italian sojourn will come at Fiorentina on Sunday on the last day of the Serie A season. On Monday, Fabio Capello named Beckham to England's squad for its two World Cup qualifying games next month at Kazakhstan and home to Andorra.
In the Serie A dugout battle of MLS alumni, Walter Zenga's Catania beat Roberto Donadoni's Napoli 3-1 on Sunday. With two minutes left the game was tied at 1-1 but then two Catania goals either side of a red card for Napoli's Daniele Mannni saw Catania snap its four-game losing streak. On Sunday, Napoli hosts Chievo Verona while Catania travel to relegation threatened Bologna on the last day of the season.
In Spain, Hugo Sanchez's Almeria continues to play out the string in La Liga. Having secured its La Liga status a few weeks back, the team has gone into a slump since. On Saturday, they lost at home 3-0 to Espanyol, a result that means the Catalan team will also play in La Liga next season.
Despite a 2-1 loss at Gimnastic de Tarragona, Jozy Altidore's Xerez remain atop the Spanish Segunda Division. While Altidore has not kicked a ball in anger for the Andalusia side, he remains in Bob Bradley's national team plans, being called up for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers despite his lack of playing time and recent toe surgery.
In Denmark, Danny Califf's fourth-place FC Midtylland could not gain ground on the team one place ahead of them in the standings, as they could only manage a 1-1 tie at home to Odense BK. Califf was named to the squad for the USA's upcoming World Cup qualifiers.Michael Parkhurst dropped to the bench as FC Nordsjaelland won its second game in a row, a 3-2 win at relegation-threatened AC Horsens. Nordsjaelland jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but Parkhurst came on as a second-half substitute to help stave off the late Horsens rally.
In Norway, it was a busy week of action with most teams playing two games in four days. On Thursday, May 21, Hunter Freeman and Clarence Goodson both played the full 90 minutes as IK Start were held at home to a 1-1 tie by Odd Grenland. On Sunday former FC Dallas defender Goodson scored his first goal for Start as they triumphed 4-0 over Bodo/Glimt. In midweek, Troy Perkins gave up four goals in an eight-goal thriller as Valerenga tied 4-4 on the road at FC Lyn. More typical service was resumed on Sunday as Perkins posted a shutout in Valerenga's 1-0 home win over bottom team Stromsgodset IF. Former Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake defender Douglas Sequeira got some playing time in Round 11 of the Tippeligaen, coming on as a substitute in Tromso IL's 1-0 home win over FC Lyn.
Mexico
The 2009 Clausura final is set with Pumas UNAM slated to face Pachuca in a home-and-home series on Thursday, May 28, and Sunday, May 31. The first leg will be played on Pumas' home field. After winning on the road at Puebla 2-1 in the semifinal first leg on Wednesday, it seemed all set for
Paco Palencia's
Pumas side to coast into the final at home on Saturday, but Puebla turned the tie around by grabbing a 2-0 lead and holding it deep into the second half. However, in the 89th minute, Dario Veron headed in the goal that broke Puebla's hearts and put Pumas into the championship game. Although the aggregate score was 3-3, Pumas advanced on the better league position tiebreaker. Palencia got the start in the first leg, but was in his more accustomed role as second-half super-sub for the second leg.
South America
In Argentina, a trio of former MLS alumni came off the bench in week 15 of the Torneo Clausura.
Matias Donnet
, who scored one goal for D.C. United in eight games in 2006, was an 83rd-minute substitute for Newell's Old Boys as they won 2-0 on the road at San Lorenzo. Real Salt Lake veteran
Matias Cordoba
saw nine minutes of action for Argentinos Juniors as they lost 3-2 as Enzo Perez scored a hat trick for Estudiantes. Another former D.C. United player,
Franco Niell
, saw a little bit more playing time, coming on in the 80th minute as his side, Gimnasia La Plata, won 1-0 at San Martin de Tucuman. Ex-Los Angeles Galaxy defender
Eduardo Dominguez
played the full 90 minutes (and gained a yellow card) as Huracan gained a 2-1 road win at Rosario Central.
In Bolivia, former Dallas Burn and MetroStars veteran Joselito Vaca scored in the 90th minute to seal Oriente Petrolero's 2-0 win over Blooming on Sunday. Unbeaten in four games, Oriente play ominously named fellow mid-table team The Strongest on Thursday, May 28.
In Paraguay, Carlos Ruiz scored a hat trick as Olimpia Asuncion posted a 5-3 road win at Rubio Nu. The 2002 MLS MVP has scored nine goals in 16 games for Olimpia.
In Peru, Jose Carvallo posted his second consecutive shutout as Sporting Cristal beat Cesar Vallejo 1-0 at home on a 51st-minute Franco Aliberti goal.
In Venezuela, former New York Red Bulls defender Gabriel Cichero played the full 90 as Caracas FC tied Deportivo Italia 1-1 in the first leg of the Venezuelan Gran Final. The second leg will be played on Sunday, May 31. Before that, on Wednesday May 27, Caracas host Brazil's Gremio in the first leg of their Copa Libertadores quarterfinal tie.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica national team head coach Rodrigo Kenton is in dispute with Herediano and Liberia, the two teams contesting the upcoming league playoffs final, after naming six players from those two teams to his squad for the June 3 World Cup qualifier with the United States. Kenton wants the players released before the already delayed final that is set to finally start on Thursday, May 28. Two of the players are former Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew forward
Andy Herron
, now with Herediano, and ex-LA Galaxy defender
Michael Umana
, who plays for Liberia. Former MetroStars defender
Pablo Brenes
was also named to the squad.
Trade Rumors
End of season reports from Scotland indicate that
DaMarcus Beasley
will be moving on from new SPL champions Glasgow Rangers. The former Chicago Fire star has seen little action this spring and the Scottish giants face financial problems that will require them to sell players before making any new signings in the summer transfer window.
Former Chicago Fire and Real Salt Lake midfielder Dipsy Selolwane was one of seven players put on the transfer list by South Africa's Ajax Cape Town. The Botswana international, who switched to midfield from striker in the recently concluded South African season, does not feature in newly appointed head coach Ian Gorowa's plans for next season.
It looks like former Real Salt Lake striker Kenny Deuchar will stay in the SPL despite being told by Hamilton that his contract would not be renewed. He is set to join newly promoted St. Johnstone.
Former Toronto FC head coach John Carver is reported to be heading back to Newcastle United. The newly relegated Magpies are a team in turmoil at the moment, but with the expected departure of senior coaches Chris Houghton and Colin Calderwood, Carver is said to be in the frame to replace them.
Performance of the Week
Honorable mention goes to
Carlos Ruiz
for his hat trick in Olimpia's 5-3 win at Rubio Nu, but the POTW accolade this week goes to
Maurice Edu
for a string of outstanding performances this spring in the Rangers midfield which culminated in the Blue side of Glasgow celebrating its first SPL championship since 2005 on Sunday night.
Mark C. Young is an Emmy Award-winning freelance writer/TV producer who has covered several FIFA World Cups and Olympic Games. He is a contributor to Goal.com and also writes for the blog "No Mas."
