Tim Howard our for Four Months by Chris Brown
Colorado Rapids officially announced that keeper Tim Howard would undergo season-ending surgery, ruling the designated player out for four months.
Rapids Keeper Tim Howard will miss the next four months of action for the Colorado and the USMNT. (Photo Credit: Corbin Elliott)
Howard sustained an injury during the first half of the U.S. Men’s National Team loss to Mexico in World Cup Qualifying last Friday and had to be subbed off in the 40th minute. At the time Howard seemed to be suffering from a groin injury but since then, examination has shown the problem to be a fracture of the right adductor longus that is located in the upper groin.
Howard will undergo surgery on Thursday, November 17th and is expected to miss four months while he recovers and rehabs from the injury.
The operation will be performed by USMNT’s Team Physician , Dr. Michael B Gerhardt in Los Angeles, California.
If the four month timeline holds true, Howard will not only miss the conclusion of the 2016 MLS postseason but will also miss preseason and the opening weeks of the 2017 MLS season.
Howard joined the Rapids as a designated player and saw his first action against Portland Timbers on July 4th. The former Everton keeper had a record of 6-3-8 between the sticks for Colorado and was selected to the MLS Team of the Week three times during those 17 games.
Howard started all of the Rapids MLS matches since his debut on July 4th. (Photo Credit: Corbin Elliott)
At the Rapids end of season banquet Howard was named Co-MVP of the team along with Rapids back up keeper Zac MacMath who played the first half of the season in goal.
MacMath will take over goalkeeping responsibilities in Howard’s absence and Colorado fans will have some comfort in having seen plenty of solid play from MacMath early in the season.
Zac MacMath started Colorado’s first 17 games and his statistical record is actually more impressive than Howard’s. In those 17 games MacMath went 9-3-5 with a goals- against average of .076. Howard did see more shots during his own 17 game run, the 37 year olds save percentage of 74% was higher than MacMaths 68.4%.
Zac MacMath will start in Howard’s place and had a solid first half of the season, before Howard’s arrival. (Photo Credit: Corbin Elliott)
While MacMath is good enough to be a starting keeper for most MLS teams, it’s impossible to replicate the experience, leadership and professionalism that Howard brought to the Rapids. The timing of the injury couldn’t be worse for a Rapid side that will square off with Seattle Sounders in the Western Conference Finals of the MLS Cup Playoffs on November 22nd.
Colorado advanced past LA Galaxy in the Western Conference Semi-Finals largely due to Howard’s penalty kick heroics. After two legs and extra time the aggregate score remained level at 1-1 and the match went to penalties. Though Giovanni Dos Santos sent his penalty over the goal, Howard did come up big to save kicks from Ashley Cole and Jeff Larentowicz and send Colorado to the final four.
Howard saves Jeff Larentowicz’s penalty kick to send Colorado to the Western Conference Finals. (Photo Credit: Corbin Elliott)
After the win against LA, Howard talked about the importance of designated players taking their teams on their shoulders, something he expected of himself when he made the move from the Premier League to MLS this past summer. Other players talked about Howard’s leadership and the professional ethos he instilled in the rest of the team.
