Tim Howard's legendary performance for the USA against Belgium in the 2014 World Cup, where he made a record 16 saves, prompted a humorous phone call from the Pentagon and a Wikipedia prank that temporarily listed him as Secretary of Defense.
Record-Breaking Display
On July 1, 2014, in Salvador, Howard kept a clean sheet for 90 minutes against a star-studded Belgium side featuring Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, and Romelu Lukaku. Despite the USA eventually losing 2-1 after extra time, Howard's 16 saves set a World Cup record for a single match. His saves included blocks from close-range efforts by Divock Origi and Kevin Mirallas, as well as long-range drives from Toby Alderweireld and De Bruyne.
Pentagon Prank and Social Media Frenzy
Fans dubbed Howard the 'Secretary of Defense' and edited his name onto the Wikipedia page for the U.S. Secretary of Defense. The U.S. Department of Defense responded with a tweet showing then-Secretary Chuck Hagel holding a football while making a phone call to Howard from the Pentagon, thanking him for defending the country. The hashtag #ThingsTimHowardCouldSave trended, with suggestions including dinosaurs, the Titanic, and Private Ryan.
Howard recalled: "The day of the Belgium game, I was nervous. I couldn’t have been more nervous. But as the game got going, I didn’t worry about how many saves I made. I was just trying to be ready for the next attack." He added: "After the game, you’ve got all these emotions - anger, sadness. Disappointment more than anything, because you don’t get opportunities like that every day."
Everton Legacy
Howard, now 47, joined Manchester United from MLS in 2003 before moving to Everton on loan in 2006, making the move permanent in 2007. He spent a decade at Goodison Park, making 414 appearances—the most by any player from outside the British Isles. He also scored a famous 101-yard goal against Bolton Wanderers in 2012, the first and only Everton goalkeeper to do so.
