Goal!

I realize that I put this up on Facebook as well, but I wanted to elaborate a bit.

Tim Howard is the goalkeeper for Everton (A Liverpool based club) in the English Premier League (Think Major League level). Tim is one of a handful of Americans playing in the EPL and is the first string goalie for the U.S. Men's Soccer Team.

On Wednesday night Tim did something rather extrordinary. He scored a goal. In doing so he joined an exclusive club; becoming only the fourth goalie to score a goal in the EPL.

If American Football players can whoop and holler just for making a tackle, what kind of celebration could you expect for a historic and unlikely goal?

None.

As you can see in the video, Howard accepts the congrats of his teammates, but then just goes on with the match.

In fact, Howard felt bad about the goal. In reference to Bolton's keeper, Adam Bogdan (who incidently was playing in only his second game of the season, for a last place team), Howard said this,

“It's not a nice feeling for a keeper. It's really awful actually. For the back four (defenders) and the goalkeepers at both ends, there was an awful wind swirling. You could see everybody was mistiming balls. I think the wind is the hardest condition to play in. Snow, rain, sun doesn't matter, but the wind really does play tricks on you.”

“I let (Bogdan) know that I was feeling for him,” Howard said. “It's not a nice place to be. I've been there before, a long, long time ago, and that was why I didn't celebrate.”

For a play that will be on highlights for a long time, that is a classy stance.

It is Howard's talent, and his attitude that made me consider supporting Everton when we first came over to England. In the grand scheme of things, Liverpool is just too far away, and I am happy to be supporting Fulham and their attempt to climb into the top ten as the EPL pauses for the January transfer window.