US goalkeeper Tim Howard stood the test against Spain and Brazil in this summer's FIFA Confederations Cup. Now, he is preparing to accept one of the toughest assignments in all of world football: Mexico at their Estadio Azteca. FIFA.com interviewed the US #1, who was recently voted top keeper at the FIFA Confederations Cup.
Howard on the rivalry between the US and Mexico - "It's all about the passion of the fans. For so long Mexico dominated our region, dominated us. Now, and for some time, we have been the dominant team. So there's a lot of anger and hurt feelings between the two of us. Let's face it, for they kicked our butts for a long time. And when the tide turned, they didn't like it. Why would they? It's just a pure and natural rivalry."
Howard on the current Mexico team, and the US chances - "Practically no one but Mexico wins at the Azteca [only Costa Rica, in 2001, has ever won a qualifier in Mexico City], but I've always had this feeling that this group of players, this U.S. team, can do something special there," predicted Howard. "We, to a large extent, are a brash young team with a blend of naivety and boldness. We're thinking 'why can't we win?' I think we can do something special, something no other team has done before."
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