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'Night and day' Howard set to enter different world at Man UtdPosted: Tuesday July 29, 2003 7:50 PMNEW YORK (AP) -- Tim Howard is about to notice the difference. He spent 4 1/2 seasons in Major League Soccer, playing mostly in front of small crowds on a circuit still building its reputation. On Thursday, the goalkeeper makes his debut for the world's biggest club, Manchester United. A sellout of 75,000-plus is expected at Giants Stadium for the exhibition game against Italian champion Juventus. "It's night and day," Howard said of the change. "There's an onus put on everything in training. It's 10 times different. You can't really compare the two." Manchester United, coming off its eighth English Premier League title in 11 seasons, has welcomed the 24-year-old from North Brunswick, N.J. -- not too far from the Red Devils' practice site this week in Piscataway. "Eveybody's been great," Howard said. "A lot of smiles. A lot of laughs." United captain Roy Keane, sitting next to Howard, knowingly tapped the goalkeeper on the right arm. "That won't last," Keane said. "Don't worry." The four-game American preseason tour is low-key. That will change when Manchester United opens its season Aug. 16 at Old Trafford against Bolton. Manchester United is the New York Yankees of soccer, and most Red Devils' fans treat losses with disdain matching a George Steinbrenner tantrum. "If you join United, there is always an expectation, there's always an expectation of winning every game," Ruud Van Nistelrooy said. And winning often isn't enough. "We can't just win 1-nil," defender Phil Neville said. "If we score four goals, we have to win by six." Van Nistelrooy was quickly accepted. Of course, he made it easier by scoring 80 goals in his first 94 games with Manchester United. But when he arrived at Old Trafford, there was plenty of pressure. Manchester United had paid PSV Eindhoven $32 million to acquire him. While Eindhoven is a well-regarded team, Howard comes from the United States, a country that until just a few years ago was regarded as a soccer alien. "Any new player is going to take a while to settle in," United midfielder Paul Scholes said. "I don't see what difference it makes where he's from. We're hopeful he'll do well. It may bring some fans from America to come and see us. As long as he does well, the fans will be pleased." Fabien Barthez, the starting goalkeeper for Manchester United and France's national team, appeared to fall out of favor with United coach Alex Ferguson following inconsistent play last season. The Red Devils got Howard for $3.6 million, a relatively inexpensive addition, and Ferguson said "he has a great chance of being first choice." Howard has a chance partly because of Kasey Keller and Brad Friedel. After leading the University of Portland to the NCAA Final Four in 1988, Keller went to Europe and played for Rayo Vallecano in Spain, and England's Millwall, Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur, where he became the starter late in the 2001-02 season. Friedel, a three-time All-America who led UCLA to the 1990 NCAA title, played from Brondby in Denmark, Galatasaray in Turkey and became a backup at Liverpool. He moved to Blackburn Rovers in November 2000, became the starter and last season was voted by players as the top goalkeeper in the league. "Brad Friedel was the best keeper in England last season -- by a long way," Neville said. Even with all the good vibes, Howard still must prove himself every day, "It's like being the new guy all over again," he said. "Nobody likes to that. It's part of the job." Off the field, he said the adjustment has been minor. "The lifestyle is easy -- the language is the same," he said. "On the field is the difference." And on the U.S. tour, he's been able to play tour guide. "If they ask, I try to help out a little bit, especially in New York," Howard said. When Manchester United went on preseason tours to Asia, players were besieged by hundreds of fans in their hotel lobbies. They couldn't walk the streets without security. In the United States, fans who have learned their faces on cable television flash a knowing look or occasionally ask for an autograph but pretty much have left players alone. Rio Ferdinand, the world's most expensive defender at $47 million, took a walk over to Times Square on Monday night. "The atmosphere is unbelievable," he said. "It made London look very small." United will be back home next week, and Howard and the rest will be the center of attention. Howard feels up to the task. "For me," he said, "the louder the crowd, the more people, the easier it is to focus." |
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