Major League Soccer, Tim Howard, and the Colorado Rapids
made the move of the US National Team goalkeeper official Sunday morning as
Howard was in Washington DC to watch his soon-to-be Colorado teammates take on
DC United. “I’m excited about what
Colorado is trying to do,” said Howard, who will first need to see out his
Everton playing days this season while awaiting the opening of the MLS transfer
window at the beginning of July before heading to the Rocky Mountains.
During a live tele-conference, Howard explained how and why
he became Colorado’s second Designated Player signing just this year and what
he expects to find in Denver. “I met
with (Rapids President) Tim Hinchey and (Rapids Director of Player Personnel) Paul
Bravo a few months ago and they outlined what they were hoping to achieve in
Colorado and it appealed to me in every way.
To be a part of a 4-year program in Denver it excited me. It excited me that the franchise was looking
to do big things.”
“They want to build a project, they want to build a winner,
they’ve been to the summit, they know what it’s like to lift a cup and they’re
eager to get back. They talked about
Jermaine Jones, and (Shkelzin) Gashi, and Kevin Doyle, guys that they think can
lead the team and do big things.”
“Timing is that when I spoke to all the people in Colorado,
spoke to (Rapids Head Coach) Pablo (Mastroeni) we discussed the challenges that
lie ahead, we discussed the project to try and push the franchise forward. It’s a huge challenge for everyone
involved. It’s something that excites
me.”
Fans shouldn’t underestimate the role Mastroeni played in
bringing Howard to Colorado, in addition to another US National Team veteran
Jermaine Jones earlier this month. In
fact, being teammates was something that Howard stressed impressed him about
Pablo and he hasn’t forgotten it.
“Pablo and I have had a fantastic relationship for quite a
number of years going back to the 2006 World Cup. He’s a guy I’ve always respected as a player,”
Howard told C38’s Brian Jennings. “I
look forward to playing for him to see how he gets his message across and also
helping him from that regard in a leadership standpoint. He was a good friend when I was playing with
him and he’s a leader. I loved playing
on teams he was in because he’s a fighter, he’ll dig in and get you results,
and I think I see a lot of that in him as a coach.”
“I’ll be flying the (Colorado) flag and hoping to be
bringing more top players to the city.” Howard also stated. An example of this would be in Seattle, when
Kasey Keller arrived there was no Clint Dempsey, or Martins. Could Tim Howard have had an effect on Jermaine
Jones regardless of what has been said in the press before?
The addition of Howard opens the door to a new level of
prestige, with it comes the chance for many new beginnings as the Rapids look
to gain respect and recognition not just in MLS, but around the world.
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