Soccer Extreme : Tim Howard showed the value of study Sunday in leading Everton into the FA Cup final with two penalty shootout saves against Manchester United. The United States goalkeeper saved penalties from Dimitar Berbatov and Rio Ferdinand......after spending two days this week with Everton coaching staff analyzing the penalty technique of United's players.
The teams had drawn 0-0 through extra time of the semifinal before Howard's performance gave Everton a 4-2 shootout win and a place in next month's final against Chelsea.
While United's Ben Foster watched Tottenham players on an iPod screen immediately before saving a kick in last month's League Cup final win at the same stadium, Howard said Everton was able to show him any of United's players' penalties from about the past eight years."Technology is crazy," Howard said. "Obviously it wasn't perfect. I mean, I went the wrong way on two of them, but it helps."
Howard said Everton's research for Sunday's kicks was so exhaustive that he might even have guessed right if one of the reserve players United fielded had stepped up to the penalty spot.
Though he was modest enough to admit that not all the research was his own.
"Someone over there might have had a clue," Howard said, gesturing toward the Everton team bus. "But you know what? I didn't."
The best of his saves was his first, when he waited upright in the middle of the goal as Berbatov jogged up for his kick. The delay in moving was long enough for Howard to make a simple adjustment to his left to block the Bulgaria striker's languid shot down the middle of the goal.
"I tried to be patient, which is really hard in that position because the goal is gaping," Howard said. "I thought he likes to go right. Did I put him off? I'm not sure, but I know he's one of the shooters who likes to wait (for the goalkeeper to move)."
The May 30 final could now be Howard's chance to shine on the big stage.
Having moved to Old Trafford from Major League Soccer's MetroStars in 2003, the young American became just one of several goalkeepers who struggled to fill the huge gap left by Denmark great Peter Schmeichel.
When United manager Alex Ferguson signed veteran Edwin van der Sar two years later, Howard knew it was time to find a new team, which he did a year later with Everton.
But Howard said the experience of mixing with the Red Devils' world-class players, even when he was on the bench, was what made him good enough to thwart his former teammates at Wembley.
"The best thing that ever happened to my career was playing for three years at Manchester United," the 29-year-old Howard said. "For good and for bad, I learned more from the disappointments than anything else. It's easy to say but it's so true.
"Alex Ferguson was fair and I've got no bones to pick. I'm better now because I played there. I played with some great people at that club, which made me who I am."
Howard initially joined Everton on loan before a transfer for about 3 million pounds (US$4.4 million; euro3.4 million). While he's glad he waited for Everton manager David Moyes to sign him rather than jumping earlier, he admitted he had no idea things would work out as well as they have.
Everton finished sixth and then fifth in the Premier League with Howard in goal and is sixth again with six games to play this season. The club is also heading for its first final since 1995, when it beat United 1-0 to lift the FA Cup.
"I don't know if I had the ability to look that deeply into the team, but David Moyes spoke to me and sold it to me hook, line and sinker," Howard said.
"I thought 'it's the place I want to be'. All the things I spoke to him about almost three years ago have come true and have come to pass and his honesty has been rewarded." (usatoday.com)
Toffee king: Former United keeper Tim Howard turns Everton hero after denyingDimitar Berbatov from the spot after guessing rightly to save with his legs
end... the video penalty playoff MU vs Everton