Soccer Gurus: Please Explain The Rationale Of USA Goalkeeper Tim Howard.

Onipa Ba

This comment is on the Ghana/USA match played on Saturday, June 26th, 2010. When the play was in active session, and the ball was momentarily stationed around the Ghana goal post area, US goal keeper Tim Howard vacated the custody of the US goal post and came all the way to the Ghana goal area.

His motive was not clear to me. At some point he appeared to participate in the struggle to gain control of the ball, but at another instance he even appeared to want to engage Kingston in some fist fight.

Two ironies stand out to me in a very ridiculous manner. The first irony is that as a professional soccer player, Tim Howard appears not to be knowledgeable of the aerodynamics of the ball in course of play. The ball can change places over an extended distance in a matter of a few seconds, during play. Thus, a ball which is located around the Ghana goal post area could travel to the US goal post in a matter of seconds

The second irony that seems ridiculous to me is that as a professional soccer player, he appears unaware of the unique role of the goalie whereby he is the only team member who can touch the ball by hand, notwithstanding within the confines of a demarcated region of the field.

Assuming that while Tim Howard was away trying to attack Kingston or whatever his motive was, the ball traveled to Tim’s turf, as it could have done in a matter of seconds. Assuming the trajectory of the ball was such that it could be stopped only by hand. None of the US players who may be positioned near the US goal posts would be qualified to stop the ball by hand.

The only instance I have seen a goalie move to the opponents goal area is when penalty kicks are used to decide the result of the match, following a scoreless regular time play. I have seen goalies make a few shots at such penalty kicks against the opponents. However, for regular or in-play penalty kick against an opponent, it would be risky for a goalie to position himself around the opponent’s goal because one of the ways a good goalie like Kingston would save a penalty would include hitting the advancing ball with his fist to reverse the direction of the ball. When the direction of the ball is reversed in that fashion regular play still continues. Thus a goalie who has left his post as Tim Howard did, would want to go back as quickly as possible to his turf to secure the ball but he cannot match the speed of the ball as the ball travels towards his goal.

I do not understand the rational of US goal keeper Tim Howard, in what he did. Could the soccer gurus out there explain it for us.