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For Tim Howard, this year's World Cup is simply a full-circle moment.
Raised successful cardinal New Jersey and becoming pro successful his location state, nan World Cup last will beryllium held astir 35 miles distant from wherever nan erstwhile United States Men's National Team goaltender grew up.
When nan bidding for nan last took place, Howard knew precisely wherever it had to beryllium played.
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Tim Howard of nan United States makes a prevention during nan 2014 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 lucifer against Belgium astatine Arena Fonte Nova successful Salvador, Brazil, connected July 1, 2014. (Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)
"I heard Dallas, and I emotion Dallas. Good, bully town, but I conscionable said nan World Cup last could only really ever beryllium successful 1 spot and it had to beryllium successful nan New York, New Jersey area," Howard told Fox News Digital successful a caller interview.
"I've ne'er been to a World Cup final. I person ne'er been astir a World Cup final. I'm 47 years old, I've only ever seen nan World Cup last connected TV. So, you know, to beryllium successful New York during it, it's benignant of crazy to deliberation about. It's pinch myself benignant of territory."
Howard has ne'er been to a World Cup final, because his USA squads ne'er sewage to one. In fact, nary USA squad has ever made it. And Howard doesn't precisely expect this 1 to make it either.
But location is simply a people that this year's squad does person to scope successful bid for nan World Cup to not beryllium considered a nonaccomplishment for nan Stars and Stripes.
Tim Howard, goalkeeper for nan United States, plays during a crippled against Azerbaijan astatine Candlestick Park successful San Francisco, California, connected May 27, 2014. (Michael Burns/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
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"I deliberation we win nan group, and we should triumph nan group. So, commencement there," Howard began. The USA is nan highest-ranked squad successful its group that besides includes Australia, Paraguay and Turkey.
"I deliberation if you triumph nan group and you decorativeness first, successful nan Round of 32 you're going to get a third-place team, which, hopefully, arsenic we commencement to peel backmost nan layers, shouldn't beryllium immoderate amended than immoderate squad you had conscionable beaten successful nan knockout phase, right?"
From past on, it's location money, Howard said.
"And past I think, if my calculations are correct, successful nan Round of 16 they're going to person to rotation their sleeves up and benignant of hit a bully, a top-10 squad successful nan world, right? But that's benignant of really it should be. And if they tin do that, a top-10, top-20 team, past they get themselves to nan quarterfinal," he said.
"Now, that's easy connected paper. A batch of things person to happen. I deliberation this is simply a really talented team. Can they travel together, each play their champion shot astatine nan aforesaid time? We'll see. But I do deliberation they person nan imaginable to do that."
Howard is, of course, hoping this squad goes nan distance, which whitethorn supply immoderate other azygous cleaning. Howard knows each astir that arsenic a lifelong jock who continues to unrecorded a healthy lifestyle and collaborated pinch Lysol up of this year's World Cup.
"I'm not connected nan section anymore, but I cognize that aft a agelong match, practice, workout, immoderate it is, my apparel stink. I besides cognize that Lysol Laundry Sanitizer is my absolute go-to," he said. "It kills 99.9% of odor-causing bacteria successful laundry. So, it's a earthy fresh arsenic you tin ideate pinch each of nan sweating and moving retired that I did."
If Team USA's tourney does not spell arsenic planned, though, location is simply a metallic lining, Howard said.
United States goalkeeper Tim Howard stands connected nan section earlier nan CONCACAF Gold Cup last against Jamaica astatine Levi's Stadium connected July 26, 2017. (Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports)
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"If nan United States Men's National Team has a tragic summary and they neglect and they don't get retired of nan group, soccer's not going to spell backwards successful this country. It's not," he said. "People will beryllium disappointed, but nan money and nan infrastructure and nan support are still going to beryllium there.
"They're conscionable going to beryllium hungrier for success."
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