Timaço

Is it still possible to think in sentences? Is it still possible to think at all? When I try to come to terms with what Tim Howard did yesterday, my brain just, like, kaleidoscopes. I mean, I see fireworks. I see stars. I see imaginary GIFs where the ball explodes every time he punches it. I see shocked Belgian attackers staring up at him like Wildlings catching their first sight of an ice wall 800 feet high: You mean we have to go through that? I see him yelling at his defenders, pointing his big gloves like someone showing 10 wobbly pins how not to be afraid of a bowling ball.

I have watched hundreds of hours of soccer in my life. Thousands. If a thing can happen on the pitch, I’ve seen it. I’ve watched 4-0 leads erased in minutes. I’ve watched managers fight their own players. I’ve watched a star for FC Barcelona receive a standing ovation at the Bernabéu, the home of Real Madrid. I’ve seen every kind of insanity and every kind of brilliance. I’m not saying this to brag. I just want to establish some context. Because I’ve never seen anything like what Tim Howard did yesterday.

In fact, no one has seen anything like what Howard did yesterday, because it’s never happened before, at least not in living memory. Howard’s 16 saves were the most recorded by a World Cup goalkeeper since FIFA started keeping the statistic nearly half a century ago. To put that number in perspective: Only six other teams in 2014 have recorded more than 16 saves over the entire tournament. Howard faced 39 shots — 39! — as a polished Belgium attack repeatedly overwhelmed the hardworking but very outclassed American defense.

- Brian Philips