Tim Howard to start USMNT's 3rd place game, 2 stars dealing with injuries
Tim Howard has spent Copa America Centenario on the bench, watching Brad Guzan mind the net for the United States. But the goalkeeper will finally get his chance to play in the third place match against Colombia (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, FX), with manager Jurgen Klinsmann confirming that Howard will get the start for the Americans' final match of the tournament.
"[Howard] has been outstanding there to help the team go all the way through in this tournament until the final four, helping Brad Guzan wherever he could, keeping the spirit very positive, and pushing from behind," Klinsmann said in a pres conference on Friday.
Howard spent eight years as the Americans' starting goalkeeper, a run that ended with his magnificent performance against Belgium in the round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup. After that, he took a year off from the national team and when he returned, Guzan has made his claim to the starting job. The duo rotated starts through the fall and spring, but Guzan was named the starter for Copa America and performed well.
It's not unsual for teams to make changes for a third place match. While everyone would obviously like to win the match, it's not viewed as anywhere near as important as the other matches in the tournament. There's little reason to think Guzan won't be the starter going forward, but this was a chance to get Howard in the tournament.
"[Guzan has] done tremendously well and he's totally on board with the fact that we give Tim this game," said Klinsmann.
In addition to the change in goal, the U.S. may also have a new-look defense.
Klinsmann said that both John Brooks and Fabian Johnson are dealing with injuries and neither participated fully in training on Friday.
"We'll see until the very last moment and see how we're going to approach that, which is normal," said Klinsmann. "I think every team after five, six games in a row has some injury issues. Some are minor, some are bigger, so the coaches will wait until the last moment to confirm the lineup they want to bring into the field."
With the third place match not massively important and neither being fully fit, it would seem unlikely that Brooks and Johnson play. That would open spots at centerback and left back, with Matt Besler looking like the likely option to replace Brooks and Edgar Castillo possibly coming in for Johnson.
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