BY THE TIME Tim Howard walked back his comments, it was already too late.
The US goalkeeper’s inflammatory and unnecessary remarks about dual nationals had opened up Pandora’s Box. No amount of damage control would be sufficient.
The 37-year-old told USA Today on Tuesday: “Jurgen Klinsmann had a project to unearth talent around the world that had American roots. But having American roots doesn’t mean you are passionate about playing for that country.
“I know there were players that came in that it didn’t matter as much to,” Howard continued. “If you get enough of those players, one or two can get found out, but if you get enough of those players you lose sight of what you are all about.”
By Wednesday, the US goalkeeper was backpedaling faster than he would if a forward caught him off his line.
“Some of them are [dual nationals], but I think others are players who have their roots here in America too,” Howard told ESPN. “It’s not exclusive to them because some of our dual nationals have been brilliant.
“Jermaine Jones has been a rock for our national team. He’s been one of the heartbeats. Fabian Johnson has been brilliant for us. So, no, that wasn’t aimed at any one person in particular.”
Sorry, Tim. Too late.
We’ve heard arguments like these in the past, notably from former US women’s national team star Abby Wambach.
Where Howard runs into trouble is that he’s still an active member of the US national team, not a retired pundit like Wambach. He’s going to have to look John Brooks, Jones, Johnson and many others in the face at upcoming national team camps.
As Jones said Thursday to ESPN, Howard’s comments were “dangerous stuff.”
Howard says his remarks weren’t aimed at any one person in particular. That is part of why they were so problematic. By keeping his criticism opaque, Howard has thrown the commitment of every dual national into question.
From now on, when any foreign-born or raised US national team player sees Howard looking at them in the locker room they’ll be right to wonder whether the goalkeeper is thinking they’re just there to collect a paycheck.
While Howard throws out vague and immeasurable terms like “passion,” there are some statistics we can actually measure. Namely, 18 months.
That’s how much time combined two of the greatest American players of all time voluntarily stepped away from the US national team in recent years. Who were they? None other than American-born and bred Landon Donovan and Tim Howard.
Was it wrong for these two to make these decisions? Of course not. Every player has to do what’s best for them in their career and it was completely within Donovan and Howard’s rights to take a well-earned breather. Donovan said he would have immediately retired without his sabbatical.
Many questioned Donovan and Howard’s commitment to the national team when they stepped away, just like many questioned Timothy Chandler when he turned down call-ups to the US national team in the past.
While it was fair to question Chandler’s commitment to the national team, it is entirely different to assume that he turned down calls because he wasn’t born in the United States. As Howard and Donovan will attest, there are plenty of valid reasons a player could opt out of a few national team camps.
Klinsmann made plenty of mistakes during his tenure as US national team boss, but one area where he was absolutely correct was his emphasis on finding the best eligible talent, regardless of birthplace or upbringing.
Even if a team has an unending amount of it, “passion” will only go so far. Whether they were born in Germany, Mexico or Montana, the US needs talent to succeed. Howard knows this as well as anyone, and he’d be well served to embrace all the talent the US has at its disposal.
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Did they make any comments on their player throwing a stone at the Bohs crowd?
@Paul: Do you have any comment on the sectarian abuse, threatening behaviour by that neanderthal with a stick on the pitch towards Rovers goalkeeper, the objects thrown at a Rovers player, vile misogyny, physical and racist abuse of Rovers staff? Just asking
@Derek Kelly ☘️: 2 great goals
@John O Reilly: Absolutely. Not really relevant to the question asked though John
@Derek Kelly ☘️: true, neanderthal fans need to be ignored. Hopefully a player did not throw something at fans
@Derek Kelly ☘️: that the same Rovers goalkeeper who turned his back on the flag, at the cup final v Dundalk? He knew what he was doing that day.
@Derek Kelly ☘️: when John comments it’s never relevant
@Niall Hearty: that’s his right …just like it’s my right to turn my back to the union jack
@Derek Kelly ☘️: I was at the game and close to where the chants at manus where coming from and it was way too far and and unjustified but it was coming from a group of about 10 ejeets and bohs sent an email out to all members and st holders reminding them it’s not acceptable straight away and yes mandrious girlfriend was sung about but she shouldn’t be getting involved on Instagram your only inviting it, Danny is a big boy and can handle himself and I don’t blame him for throwing the object back I would of done the same in fairness, Bradley and cronin were at it all day and brought it on themselves as well you don’t ryle up home fans in that fashion and expect nothing to come back… You’d think that rovers ultras are holier than God there Derek
@Derek Kelly ☘️: notice the way they kept it off the TV the part where the boos “fan” ran towards Manus cute hoors
@Kieran Tierney: oh yea the rovers fans would never dream of it would they Kieran???
@Kieran Tierney: your irrelevant
@Kieran Tierney: last year 4 or 5 rovers fans ran on the pitch towards the bohs section and players?? What about that… Let’s not get all high and mighty here Derek I’m sure you’ve seen your fair share its a Dublin Derby you know quite well what goes on
@John Kelly: more personal attacks ..but I wasn’t talking to you
@John Kelly: there was no rovers fans at the last game though John
@Kieran Tierney: I’m talking to you
@Kieran Tierney: the last game your lot were allowed in obviously Kieran
@John Kelly: no they weren’t . It was just “your lot” as you put it
@Kieran Tierney: how old are you 15 its like talking to a brick wall…. I’ll spell it out for ya to avoid confusion but I still don’t think youll get it, on the 15th of Feb 2020 the last time rovers fans were allowed in to dalymount they ran on the pitch I was there seen it, short memories in tallaght…..
@John Kelly: the last game was on Sunday just gone …there’s your short memory…not two years ago nearly lol
@John Kelly: do you hear yourself talk must be a great view up there John
@Kieran Tierney: and you wonder why us and fans of every other club in the league dislike you…….
@John Kelly: because we are the most successful team in the country…that’s why John ..not so hard to wonder …same for Celtic, man utd, real Madrid etc etc
@Kieran Tierney: yea that it! Nothing else at all? Lol
@John Kelly: and that club across the Liffey that you support don’t like us because we are arch rivals …glad I could spell these things out for you
@John Kelly: if you think bohs haven’t caused any trouble you are delusional
@Kieran Tierney: but Kieran you know how bad the rovers fans are. Everyone dislikes them. And you are one of them
@John O Reilly: lol brilliant ..tells us all we need to know about you John …
@John Kelly: his SNA likes him
@Kieran Tierney: I never said they haven’t…. If you actually read my comments I acknowledged it! The thing is you can’t…. And that’s exactly your fans and club are very unlikeable
@Kieran Tierney: everyone already knows about you Kieran your all nonsense it’s a fact
@John O Reilly: “you know how bad the rovers fans are” …so you are branding over 5 thousand people bad yet you think I have a special needs assistant…. interesting …
@John Kelly: ” everyone knows about me ” yes they know I’m giving you logical answers that don’t suit your agenda….”all nonsense” …more high horse attitude
@John O Reilly: God love her John he’s hard work
@John Kelly: no just hard for you to understand it’s ok tho John no hard feelings
@Kieran Tierney: you don’t seem to know much about anything
@John O Reilly: When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser.
@John Kelly: yep, she has her work cut out
@John O Reilly: interesting coming from a lad who makes sweeping generalisations …so what’s “anything” and how can you tell since the topic has been football
@Kieran Tierney: oh I understand Kieran and none at all, I think I’ve made my feelings pretty clear and as I said before and as you said as well we’re bitter rivals that dislike everything about each other and ultimately that’s pretty much the only thing we’ll ever agree on
@John Kelly: I don’t dislike you at all John ..don’t know you ..I work with bohs fans and they are the nicest chaps you could meet I also have generations of family members going back to the early 1900s who where and are still bohs fans and are great people…that’s where John and you seem to differ from me supposedly all rovers fans are bad…sad really
@John Kelly: I don’t John I’m well aware all clubs have a few bogies including Rovers. An honest reply none the less fair play for that.
@John Kelly: Not getting high and mighty John just putting some context on the original reply to this post.
@Kieran Tierney: I think you know i don’t mean I dislike you personally Kieran you could be a great lad? I also know rovers fans and have good relationships with them, what I mean by dislike is in the context of our two football clubs, what that means and everything that goes with it and I never said all rovers fans are bad…. There’s always a section who will get involved the with uglier side of it violence etc as you well know… I’ve no interest in all that but like you Derek John I’ll defend bohs verbally all day and if you have family members and know other bohs fans you know and understand the dynamics as well its nothing personal it’s more got to do with geographics and me being from Dublin 9 only gives me one choice and that’s red and black!!
@Derek Kelly ☘️: that’s fair enough … But I’m sure if you go to most grounds around the country which I’m also sure you have you’ll get that in certain sections as you said yourself rovers as well… So a bit unfair to highlight it just when it happens at Dalymount?
@Kieran Tierney: the club that went bust or the current one. You lot bought league titles just like Rangers in Scotland.
@Fergus Lynch: you mean like every top club in the world does lol like bohs in 2008 under fenlon lol
@Fergus Lynch: don’t know what the comparison to rangers is they won titles from cheating the tax man …rovers never done that …we just robbed all your best players haha . I’m sure you and your cronies on here will point out how I’m “wrong” or have “special needs” …
@John Kelly: oh I understand the dynamics…but they don’t assume people have special needs just because they can’t win an argument
@Fergus Lynch: Rovers never got wound up so still the same club Fergus …but then you are in the know…as you said they are losing 600k a year hahaha the delusions from you lot are hilarious
@Kieran Tierney: you can give it no problem Kieran but clearly can’t it when thrown back!
@Kieran Tierney: you just called bohs one of the top clubs in the world Kieran good man we’ll take that :)
@Kieran Tierney: and apoel and celtic and various others robbed yours no one is safe from the transfer market Kieran lad its an integral part of the game if you hadn’t noticed
@Kieran Tierney: I just want to point out your wrong Kieran
@Kieran Tierney: you could be dyslexic?
@Kieran Tierney: looks like you assumed you won it? Contradicting yourself now… I don’t think you could win an argument with yourself KT
@John Kelly: apoel got jack Byrne on a free contract lol ..did you not notice that !!
@John Kelly: “you can give it no problem” where have I dished out abuse show me ?
@John Kelly: bohs were the top team in Ireland in 2008 yes 13 years ago lol
@John Kelly: dyslexic ? Stop embarrassing yourself
@Kieran Tierney: or say that people’s views are irrelevant. That’s just ignorant
@John O Reilly: so giving me abuse isn’t ? The irony lol
@Kieran Tierney: called us hoors, said I’m delusional, said I had an agenda and implied I’m above everyone else all of which are untrue and defamatory but don’t worry about me it’s okay I can take it, unlike you :(
@Kieran Tierney: doesnt matter if it was on a free or not he was your best player and taken by another club so was mceneff so was scales and others so I was pointing out while you think it’s funny ‘robbing’ our best players it happens to everyone it’s called the transfer market! And mandriou is a poison chalice we did well getting rid of him you’ll see it soon enough!
@Kieran Tierney: yea and rovers waited 9 years from 2011 until last year when dundalk were the dominant team! The way your talking about it you would think they have have won titles consistently in the in the last decade pffff
@Kieran Tierney: you could be?
@John Kelly: now kiss
@Tomas Ryan: haha he’s the Ying to my Yang
@John Kelly: lol you’re answers are straw clutching at its finest…I wasn’t implying that Rovers had been dominating for all those years ..we just have finished above you lot for all those years and that’s all I care about lol
@John Kelly: “doesn’t matter if it as on a free” it does tho because that’s not ” Robbing a player he was not under contract so he is not a rovers player anymore…how can you not get that ??
@John Kelly: “you could be” this is tiresome yawn…ok let’s start …John how would a dyslexic person need a special needs assistant ? And also I know this is also hard for you to notice …but my spelling is perfect so that would tell you I’m not dyslexic..or maybe you didn’t know what the word means…I’m sure like everything else you will have an answer explaining how wrong I am
@Kieran Tierney: haha I never said you had special needs… And I was only messing about being dyslexic your selling is on immaculate, I just wanted to hear your reply KT I like our 50 message back and forth chats just for the sake of it, best of enemies we are x