Rarely does a goalkeeper who allows four goals get commended for his performance, but Tim Howard came up big for the United States in its 4-2 loss to Brazil on Sunday at Soldier Field. Howard finished the game with three saves.
Playing against the No. 1 team in the world is never easy, and it became even more difficult when Howard dislocated his right ring finger attempting to make a save in the 58th minute.
Howard was on the ground for several minutes but decided to stay in the game after the medical staff popped the finger back into place.
“I smashed it into the crossbar,” said Howard, who had the fingers bandaged after the game. “It looked like a crooked stick.
“It’s sore. I decided to play through it, hoping the adrenaline would get me through the game. It was swollen like a balloon.”
Howard said he expects to have doctors take a closer look at the finger.
Feilhaber wins
Eddie Johnson said earlier this week that he and U.S. teammate Benny Feilhaber both wanted to trade jerseys with Brazil star Kaka after the game. In the end, it was Feilhaber who went home with Kaka’s No. 7 jersey.
“I talked to Kaka before halftime in Portuguese,” said Feilhaber, who was born in Brazil. “I told him I wanted to trade jerseys and went up to him and got it.
“I had the advantage over Eddie. He ended up getting Robinho’s jersey.”
Old times
It was a Fire reunion of sorts on Sunday. U.S. national team manager Bob Bradley coached the Fire to its only MLS Cup title in 1998 with the help of star player Peter Nowak, now an assistant with Bradley.
On the U.S. roster were ex-Fire players Carlos Bocanegra, DaMarcus Beasley and Josh Wolff. Bradley’s son Michael, who was around the Fire when his father was coach, also was on the U.S. roster.
“It’s good to play with those guys again,” Wolff said of his former Fire teammates and coach. “The city is fantastic and I enjoyed the experience.”
Corner kicks
Landon Donovan broke the U.S. single-season scoring record Sunday thanks to his assist on Bocanegra’s 21st-minute goal. Donovan now has 22 points, one more than Cobi Jones’ 21 in 2000. … Illinois-Chicago alum Jay DeMerit and Arlington Heights native Jonathan Spector were on the U.S. roster but did not play.
