Howard on 1 v 1's

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by Gooch_Onyewu, Oct 17, 2012.

  1. Gooch_Onyewu

    Gooch_Onyewu Member

    Jan 30, 2008
    VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I honestly think this is one of Howard's biggest weaknesses. Granted, keepers aren't favored in these type of situations but I think Howard could be better in this area. Me being a former keeper I always considered these one of my strengths.



    Howard should have charged off his line not even allowing Ruiz to get on the ball. I think he could have got there before Ruiz did.



    Notice the awful touch Byers takes before he shoots. Howard should have sprawled out and gotten to that. Howard let him shoot it.
     
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  2. twoolley

    twoolley Member+

    Jan 3, 2008
    I'll give you a maybe on Howard getting to the ball before Ruiz. As to the Antigua goal, he would have had to have already been charging out full speed, thus anticipating a bad touch, which would be ridiculous. Why would he ever expect the attacker to take such a heavy touch? I don't think he really did anything wrong with respect to not coming out on the Antigua goal. The real issue was Gooch anyways.

    Guate goal, I'm just not sure its such a decisive point. but if he charged out and got beat would you be commenting on his inability to judge that? Also it appears the reason he didn't come out was his starting point was too deep inside the 18. If he had been further up in his box he would have been more ready to play the sweeper/goalie role on that play. So that is where the problem really began.

    Not to say I disagree about one on one's not being the strongest part of his game. The keeper is always at a disadvantage though.
     
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  3. Clenbuterol

    Clenbuterol Red Card

    Aug 25, 2011
    Club:
    --other--
    Funny, my father was mentioning the same thing yesterday. He needs to come out and intimidate the player with the ball faster and cut down the angle. He is staying on his line a lot.

    I think it is just him trusting his defenders a bit too much.
     
  4. SPA2TACU5

    SPA2TACU5 Member+

    Jul 27, 2001
    ATX
    And tackle the back with his feet?
     
  5. Sam Hamwich

    Sam Hamwich Member+

    Jul 11, 2006
    are you kidding? Howard has one blemish on his repertoire: shots from distance.

    Go watch some of our matches with Argentina, Spain, Mexico, etc. He is excellent at 1 v. 1's. His quickness and positioning are awesome. He just can't stop shots from distance. Arsenal, i think it was 4 years ago, lit him up for 5 shots from distance and goals in one match. I actually wonder if it is a 'Wild Thing' problem where he needs a thick pair of eyeglasses.
     
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  6. cleansheetbsc

    cleansheetbsc Member+

    Mar 17, 2004
    Club:
    --other--
    There is another discussion that Tim was too deep (at about his 6 when the ball was played) and out of position.

    He would have been dead if he charged hard. The spin on the ball made it almost bounce straight up/die right in front of Ruiz. It did not take a big skid that you would expect a long kick to take. If it did, Ruiz would be unlikely to get that ball.
     
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  7. SPA2TACU5

    SPA2TACU5 Member+

    Jul 27, 2001
    ATX
    ball*
     
  8. EvanJ

    EvanJ Member+

    Manchester United
    United States
    Mar 30, 2004
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    While allowing the goal was bad, the worst case scenario (which could have eliminated us from qualifying) would be if Howard came out of the goal and got ejected for fouling Ruiz, leaving us down 1-0, down a man, and with Guzan in goal.
     
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  9. deuteronomy

    deuteronomy Member+

    Angkor Siem Reap FC
    United States
    Aug 12, 2008
    at the pitch
    Club:
    Siem Reap Angkor FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Watch the video, again. Ruiz does not even get his first touch on the ball until it is in the box.
    Howard, if correctly positioned toward the top of the box, easily makes the play.
     
  10. ChrisSSBB

    ChrisSSBB Member+

    Jun 22, 2005
    DE
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I find this goal really fascinating. Klinsmann could review this one all day with the team about what should have happened not only defensively when Guatemala got the ball and countered, but what US players should have been doing both on and off-ball as Bradley dribbled up field prior to losing it.

    After watching again, I believe this might have been a tough decision for Howard even if his starting position is was more towards top of 18. While Ruiz never touched the long pass until about the fourth bounce and when he was inside the 18, the pass first lands very close to Ruiz's feet about 30 yds from goal. If Howard was positioned at the 18, he wouldn't have been able to determine with any certainty that he could reach this long pass and deal with it cleanly without Ruiz getting the touch first. GK's don't just go running outside their box because they might be able to get the ball - they need to know that they can get the ball. If you aren't going to go, a GK might as well be positioned at the 6 as a starting point for the 1v1. Ruiz played it well making Timmy think he was going far post and getting him to set his feet which allowed him to drag it by him and knock it in near post.

    Ruiz announced his international retirement after this game. May not have been the most likeable guy and could be exasperating at times even if playing for your team, but there was no doubt he was someone who could score a goal from anywhere at anytime.
     
  11. ChrisSSBB

    ChrisSSBB Member+

    Jun 22, 2005
    DE
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    haha, we posted at same time. I was definitely interested on what you thought of the play from a GK perspective. I'm commenting as a non-GK, as you know. I could picture Manuel Neuer coming off his line on that one and doing a diving header on the first bounce 30 yds from goal :D
     
  12. cleansheetbsc

    cleansheetbsc Member+

    Mar 17, 2004
    Club:
    --other--
    Yeah, but he could potentially receive that ball on the fly if needed.
    REALLY curious as to Howard's though pattern there. Did he back up on the ball thinking Ruiz was going to bring it down first time initially? Very possible. If he did and Howard comes, its an easy chip.
    When Howard backs up, then Ruiz decides to run on to it?
     
  13. deuteronomy

    deuteronomy Member+

    Angkor Siem Reap FC
    United States
    Aug 12, 2008
    at the pitch
    Club:
    Siem Reap Angkor FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Actually, I think that might have been a possibility.

    Problem #1, was that he was too far back when the pass was made. At worst, he should have been coming out to the top of the box when possession changed. It will be interesting to hear his comments (we probably won't get them).

    Problem #2, I think he anticipated Bocanegra making a stronger supporting run (of the keeper's play) than he did. Bocanegra appeared surprised. Often the keeper can delay the attacker enough for the defender to make a play in these situations.

    Again, if Howard is at the top of the box, looking for this, he is going to beat the slow fat Ruiz to the ball. The ball is coming toward him (and that makes getting the first touch on it, a lot easier). Ruiz was going to have to time his touch, if there were a challenge, differently.

    Someone at the game, noted on a different thread, that JK was insisting and gesturing that his defenders push up for the high line offside trap. IMO, this was a huge mistake with a slower, heavier single forward who regularly makes intelligent runs.
     
  14. cleansheetbsc

    cleansheetbsc Member+

    Mar 17, 2004
    Club:
    --other--
    Don't disagree at first glance, why is he inside his six yard box, but without sitting behind the goal and observing. Napping? wiping off his hands? A legitimate reason - did they discuss the possibility of Ruiz trying from distance so hang back, as a game strategy?

    Boca trotting back was a big problem. He had to have made the asssumption that TH was going to come hard.

    Would love to see a game film version of this play.
     
  15. Sam Hamwich

    Sam Hamwich Member+

    Jul 11, 2006
    This goal is tough for me to hang on the GK. Any time you isolate 1 v. 1 the GK on a breakaway, that is the teams failure not GK. I am still confused on whether gCam was ill positioned, Up and right, if JK was calling for this high line, if Boca played Ruiz on-side and didnt recover. Howard would be the last person I get to on the 'who shot Paul' debate.
     
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  16. Scissorkick Collins

    Dec 30, 2009
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I re-watched the first half again last night and watched this play a few times. While I think it's fair to question whether Howard did as well as he could have on the 1-v-1, he did at least force Ruiz into a shot from a steep angle. What made it difficult for Tim, as others have pointed out, was that the ball never was that far in front of Ruiz.

    What was really strange about the play was Boca. For some reason he never accelerated past 1/2 - 3/4 speed. As such, Ruiz was able to come in on Tim without having to push the ball hard - when a player has that much time on a breakaway, they can keep the ball at their feet making it really difficult for a keeper to decide to make the quick move to try to smother the ball. That's why Ruiz was able to pull the ball past Tim and finish from a tight angle, because he was always under control with the ball right at his feet.

    I'm not trying to throw Boca under the bus, maybe he was anticipating that Tim would smother the shot and he wanted to be there to clear the rebound and/or cover a trailing Guat (don't think there was one though). But Boca just trailed the play really slowly, even when it was clear that Tim was staying close to his line. This allowed Ruiz to take his time and then roll the shot in from that angle. I think at a few times during that play Boca could have/should have decided to hustle and either pursue the play or cut to the goal line where he very possibly could have cleared the shot.
     
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  17. StillKickin

    StillKickin Member+

    Austin FC
    Dec 17, 2002
    Texas
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This play happened right in front of us, and that's exactly what I thought. It just looked like a routine ball that Tim was going to get to and he (Tim) just stopped. We were shocked. I guess Boca was too - but clearly that doesn't excuse him.
     
  18. Footsatt

    Footsatt Member+

    Apr 8, 2008
    Michigan
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Yea I agree... 1v1 is a strength of his. This one play vs Guat is an anomaly.

    ...but Howard does have 2 blemishes. 1) Shots from distance and 2) distribution with his feet.
     
  19. Lascho

    Lascho Member+

    Sep 1, 2008
    Hannover, Germany
    Club:
    Borussia Mönchengladbach
    From what I've seen of Howard, I'd say he's pretty good at reflex saves from short/mid distance, and not very good at positioning and timing.
    All keepers try to play up to their strengths. Keepers like Howard want the striker to shoot from 8 yards distance or so with a nice angle for the keeper. Consequentially they rarely try to intercept passes, and they don't try to force the striker into a dribbling, because that's not where they feel at home. The mind is set to "through ball, I'll wait until I have to come out so that he probably gives me the shot I like"; even if that's not the maximum chance to stop that goal, and they sometimes don't really judge the actual situations and their chances.
    Like a header beast of a striker, who tries to get to the ball with his head at knee level, just because he's programmed to "cross into the box, header for me", even when he had a much better chance with his foot.
     
  20. Sam Hamwich

    Sam Hamwich Member+

    Jul 11, 2006
    Not that it matters, but Neuer had a shocker the other day. Easily the worst performance of the day which is odd because he was (probably still is) the best young GK in the world.
     
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  21. Lascho

    Lascho Member+

    Sep 1, 2008
    Hannover, Germany
    Club:
    Borussia Mönchengladbach
    Right, it doesn't matter in this thread.
     
  22. sidefootsitter

    sidefootsitter Member+

    Oct 14, 2004
    Yes, like Toni Schumacher.
     
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  23. Gooch_Onyewu

    Gooch_Onyewu Member

    Jan 30, 2008
    VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Everybody keeps talking about the Ruiz goal but what about the Byers goal?
     
  24. LetsGoYanks

    LetsGoYanks Member

    Jul 23, 2005
    Dirty South
    He should have come out and broke Ruiz.
     
  25. Sam Hamwich

    Sam Hamwich Member+

    Jul 11, 2006
    touchy touchy, lascho. Say it like this: Fashion Football is Dead.

    KHAN!

     
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