Tim Howard returning to U.S. duty as No. 2 goalkeeper

Brad Guzan will remain Jurgen Klinsmann's first choice for the time being as the Everton keeper works his way back.

For nearly a decade now, Tim Howard has been the unquestioned No. 1 goalkeeper for the U.S. national team.

After taking a year-long sabbatical from international play, though, Howard will have to earn his top spot back from Brad Guzan.
Howard, 36, will return to the fold next month for friendlies against Peru and Brazil, but he won't be Jurgen Klinsmann's first choice in goal.

“He knew it was not going to be easy to come back because obviously Brad Guzan established himself as the number one and played a very good [Gold Cup] tournament and the whole year he really did a good job," Klinsmann told ussoccer.com. "Tim has accepted for the time being to be the number two, and then down the road there will be a fight for the number one spot like in every position. He accepted that, and we are really happy to have him back on board because of who he is and what he has done for us.”

More important than the two September games will be who starts in goal for the Oct. 10 showdown with Gold Cup champions Mexico at the Rose Bowl. The winner that night will represent CONCACAF at the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia, a warm-up event for the following year's World Cup.

Considering what's at stake, it's difficult to envision Howard, whose 104 caps are the most by any U.S. goalkeeper, not getting the call. But it appears the Aston Villa keeper Guzan will at least have a chance to make the start.

“We want to do well,” Klinsmann said. “We want to excite the fans and play two very good games, and at the same time we want to see the players perform. We want to see the players make statements towards the Mexico game, because that is really the biggest game of the year now after what happened at the Gold Cup. So it will be very interesting. We are looking forward to those two friendlies and then obviously all eyes are already on the October 10 game at the Rose Bowl. There’s a lot at stake and it’s going to be really exciting.”

Another longtime U.S. Soccer presence will be available for this fall's games, as well, with DaMarcus Beasley set to extend his post-retirement national team duty. Beasley said last December his international career was over but ended up returning for the Gold Cup. An injury suffered in training limited the 33-year-old to one brief appearance during the tournament, but Klinsmann wants the veteran to stay involved.

“It’s a big statement for us because not only is he a guy that’s important on the field with all of the qualities that he has, it seems like he’s not getting older at all, but he’s also extremely important as a chemistry guy within the group," Klinsmann said. "He’s always a positive thinker. He looks after young players. He makes sure that the energy level is high, so to have him back in our group for the future is huge for us.