When it comes to soccer, Americans are rarely on any best in the world lists. For starters, they start off playing “soccer” as kids, while the likes of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo play football. But that aside, there is the goalkeeper position–a natural for the “hands-on” American. Is America’s Tim Howard one of the best in the world? Opinions vary, but he’s certainly in consideration.
“Howard currently plays for Everton, a very good team but not quite at the top,” writes Rasmus Wissmann on Quora. He previously left Manchester United due to them hiring Edwin van der Saar. Yash Kumar Lal says, “Tim Howard may be ranked in the Top 50 goalkeepers in the world. But he is nowhere near the best in the world. He has put in amazing performances for the United States in this World Cup but a few good games does not mean he is one of the best.” Martijn Sjoorda probably has it right: “By virtue of the fact that he is playing for one of the teams that made the World Cup: yes. His employer, Everton, ranks 5th in the English Premier League. Not bad. So he’s definitely top 25 material, which is no small feat, seeing how many people play football (soccer) at a highly competitive level around the globe.”
