It’s official. Tim Howard was formally introduced as the newest member of the Colorado Rapids on Tuesday afternoon at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, expressing his excitement for what will (for now) be a three-and a-half year stint in burgundy.
“I’m going to be here for three-and-a-half years and it’s going to be a good journey,” Howard said. “I’m excited about settling in, allowing Denver to be my home, and becoming a part of the culture, the community, not just the team.”
One of the United States Men’s National Team’s most decorated goalkeepers, Howard also will reunite with Pablo Mastroeni, who now will serve as his coach, instead of teammate.
“Coach Pablo, who’s a dear friend of mine and now he’s a coach. I had to do everything he says when we played together from 2002 to 2009. I didn’t always listen, but I promise I’ll be on my best behavior now.
“We pumped each other up, we were teammates and we went out there to battle and so I’m just so looking forward to lacing those boots up to get on the field.”
Mastroeni has the same affection for his former USMNT teammate, but in a different sense.
“We have a guy that is an outstanding character off the field, on the field, holds himself to the highest standard that you can in football, embodies everything that we want at this club from a drive perspective,” he said.
Colorado’s technical director Paul Bravo, a former Rapid himself, called the acquisition a long process that is “taking us into the new MLS.
“Tim is the culmination of a very well-thought-out and well-executed plan during the offseason to put ourselves in a position to have success,” Bravo remarked.
“It truly is a great time, we believe, to be a part of this club. Obviously, where we sit in the standings is just one piece of it, and I can assure you I did not guarantee Tim Howard we would be in first place by the time he came and played his first game.”
Club president Tim Hinchey praised his ownership group for its work in bringing in Howard, but also pressed forward the notion that this is a move for the long term.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see the support we’ve had from ownership, to see the plan that we articulated, put in place.
“The pieces that we’re trying to put in place aren’t just about right now, it’s about the next three years, five years,” Hinchey said. “We have four more teams coming in the next two years, another four that are going to come after that, so this is a sign that we’re serious about being a competitive team for a long time.”
Howard’s extensive English Premier League career has taught him a lot about not just the English game, but also how it compares to that of Major League Soccer.
“When the top team plays the bottom team, they could rest 10 players and Chelsea’s still going to win or Arsenal’s still going to win or Tottenham’s going to win, or whomever it is,” Howard said. “That’s not the case in MLS. If you’re Colorado and you’re sitting on the top of the table, and you go to the bottom team, you’ve got to perform. There’s pressure there, you can’t take weekends off.”
As for his timetable for settling in with the club, that’s still up in the air.
“I don’t know the answer to how long it’ll take to gel,” he said. “Hopefully very quickly, but I think you do that on the training ground – you talk to guys, you go out to dinner, you communicate; all the things that help will translate onto the field.”
Nevertheless, he’s ready to get going.
“I’m hungry, I’m excited. I love to compete, I love to play, and it can’t come soon enough.”