World Cup: England vs USA 1-1 12 June 2010

What a game! Tim Howard was totally awesome! He is gradually making into the first ten of my favorite goalkeepers list. I liked his perfromance at the Confederation Cup. He seems to be in the good shape also at the World Cup. I think that now I have to watch all games of USA to follow him. The team owns to him that this lucky 1-1 draw was kept. He made a lot of great saves. One moment of anxiety when Hawkey clashed with Howard, when he throwed himself to make a save, and he was not getting up from the pitch from a long time. It looked horrible. Fortunately it was not a serious injury, but a painful one.

I was after USA team in this match. Expected that USA team to be better, but on the other side England seems to be really strong. When England score at 4' it became obvious it won't be easy for USA team to catch up. But then in 40' Dempsey's shot on the England goal and a fatal, fatal mistake of Robert Green. A classical blunder. Unfortunately it fit to the scheme that England has a serious problem with goalkeepers. But as a goalkeepers' fan I can only feel pity for him because it's easily predicatable what the comments in press etc. are going to look like.

Nobody counts how many chances a forward wasted. But goalkeepers mistakes are irreversible. I've seen many blunders of goalkeepers. It's something what just happens from time of time. If a goalkeeper is lucky it is in an unimportant match, when the result doesn't count. When he has a bad luck it's on a big tournament. Today it was a very bad day for Robert Green.

USA team seems to be a very lucky team. They beat Spain at Confederation Cup last year and made to the final of the tournament. Now a lucky draw. Wonder what is going to happen next.

Match stats according to ESPN: Robert Green made 3 saves, Tim Howard 5.

Good news is that there is a lot of goalkeepers' photos from this match.



Tim Howard - the man of the match



The warm-up before the match













Gerrard scores



Howard was without a chance to stop the ball







Howard gives his teammates a look-of-doom



Howard gives instructions to the defenders



























It looked horrible :(













Howard saves Wright Philips shot





























Photos of Robert Green tomorrow.