Supreme World Cup individualism isn’t limited to outfielders, folks. While it’s the playmakers and goalscorers who conjure much of the attention, those tasked with stifling the showstoppers deserve similar acclaim.
So often, a performance can be defined by one lapse or a single moment of genius, especially for those between the posts. Gordon Banks’ stop from Pelé in 1970 remains the benchmark for goalkeeping perfection, while Iker Casillas and Emiliano Martínez have each produced saves that won World Cups for Spain and Argentina, respectively.
However, in our celebration of goalkeeping mastery, we’ve opted for a performance of remarkable endurance.
The USMNT’s Tim Howard established himself as a national hero and a World Cup record-breaker with an otherworldly performance against Belgium in 2014.
Tim Howard vs. Belgium: A Record-Breaking Performance
Jürgen Klinsmann’s USMNT was an unexpected qualifier for the knockout stages, having mitigated the ’Group of Death’. Victory against Ghana and a 2–2 draw with Portugal proved to be enough to make the last 16, as the Iberians missed out having suffered a heavier defeat to Germany on Matchday 1.
The extent of Belgium’s might hadn’t yet become evident, although there was talk of a ’golden generation’ blossoming in one of the Low Countries heading into the 2014 World Cup. They’d failed to qualify for the previous two tournaments and were out to make up for lost time in Brazil.
Belgium won all three of its group games, topping Group H, but the Red Devils had yet to fully ignite. Thus, Klinsmann asserted that his side had “no fear at all” entering the match, with Lionel Messi’s Argentina awaiting in the last eight. Only once before had the USMNT reached the World Cup quarterfinals.
Howard, who backed up Kasey Keller in 2006 but was the starter in South Africa and on his way to notching 121 caps for his country, was protected by a defense comprising Geoff Cameron, Omar Gonzalez, Matt Besler and DaMarcus Beasley. So yeah, hardly a surprise that the former Everton and Manchester United shot-stopper was kept so busy in Salvador!
Howard thwarted a star-studded Belgium attack, which forced the USMNT goalkeeper into a record-breaking 16 saves. He was particularly effective at using his legs/feet to prevent the Red Devils from opening the scoring, as Divock Origi and Everton teammate Kevin Mirallas were denied expertly one-on-one. The former’s effort, less than 40 seconds in, set the tone.
The bulk of Howard’s saves arrived in the second half of normal time, as Belgium piled on the pressure against a U.S. team that struggled to muster any pressure of its own. It was one-way traffic, but Howard’s heroics rendered the Belgians gradually more unsure, believing that a sucker punch would soon be heading their way. That blow should’ve been landed by Chris Wondolowski, who squandered a gilt-edged chance late on.
The two teams couldn’t be separated after 90 minutes, and there was no dynamic shift in the extended period. Romelu Lukaku entered the fray for Origi and made a huge difference. While Howard denied him on multiple occasions, Lukaku (another Everton teammate) was instrumental in Belgium finally breaking the deadlock at the start of extra time before he doubled their lead himself with a familiar-looking finish.
Julian Green halved the USMNT‘s deficit soon after, but no dramatic comeback was staged. Lukaku forced Howard into his 16th and final save in the 120th minute. No goalkeeper has recorded more in a single World Cup match, not since the data started being recorded in 1966, anyway.
Belgium was subsequently beaten by Argentina thanks to an early Gonzalo Higuaín goal, and its stellar generation of players would ultimately fall short of collecting the sport’s most lucrative honors on the international stage. They finished third in 2018 off the back of a majestic Eden Hazard campaign, but that’s as close as Belgium, during its pomp, came to conquering the soccer world.
Tim Howard vs. Belgium: Statistical Breakdown
|
Minutes Played |
Saves |
Collected Saves |
Parried Saves |
Parried Into Danger |
Claims |
Pass Success Rate |
Total Passes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
120 |
16 |
5 |
8 |
3 |
0 |
87% |
39 |
How the World Reacted to Tim Howard’s Performance
Social media was still in its relative infancy during the 2014 World Cup, but an ever-growing online consciousness produced some of its best work in reaction to Howard’s stunning performance.
#ThingsTimHowardCouldSave went viral in the second-half of the round of 16, while Belgium were still being held at bay. Dinosaurs, Ned Stark and The Titanic ranked among the most comical suggestions. The hashtag would become the No. 1 ’meme’ in Google’s 2014 #YearInSearch.
Some called on President Barack Obama to name Howard his new Secretary of Defense, and a White House petition was launched to rename Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport the Tim Howard Airport. That didn’t come to pass, but he was briefly labelled ’American Jesus’ on his Wikipedia page.
The opponent he came so close to thwarting paid their respects, too. Then-club teammate Mirallas said it “has to be” the best goalkeeping performance he’s ever seen, while Belgium captain Vincent Kompany, who forced Howard into a smart low save at the end of normal time, tweeted: “Two words.. TIM HOWARD #Respect”.
“Tim, I don’t know how you’re going to survive the mobs when you come back home, man,” President Obama told America’s newest hero on a phone call the following day. “You’re going to have to shave your beard so they don’t know who you are! I hope I get the chance to see you again at The White House sometime soon.”
Howard himself underestimated just how much his heroics meant to the country, even in defeat. After suggesting his display would be “forgotten about very soon” he later said: “I’ve since learned to embrace it. It’s all people ever want to talk to me about. They come up to me on the street, in supermarkets, airports, wherever I am to talk about Belgium. They tell me where they were, who they were with, what they were doing for the game. Yeah, I’m proud of it. It made Americans proud.”
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