Here are a few things that have happened in the 13 years since Tim Howard last played an MLS game:
- The league has expanded from 10 to 20 teams, with at least four more on the way
- 12 new soccer specific stadiums have been built, with more on the way
- His old team, the MetroStars, have been rebranded as the Red Bulls
- His new team, the Colorado Rapids, changed their color scheme from teal, to blue, to burgundy (I still like the teal)
- Nine different teams have won an MLS Cup, five of them (Houston, Columbus, RSL Colorado and Portland) for the first time
- Project-40 became Generation adidas
- The CONCACAF Cup became the CONCACAF Champions League
- Every MLS team has started its own academy, the vast majority of which are free-to-play.
- Every MLS team has their own USL team, which they own and operate, or a USL affiliate. This is a direct replacement for/improvement upon the old reserve team system that Howard was a part of back in his MetroStars days
- Beckhamania happened, and with it came the MLS 2.0 era
- The Homegrown player initiative happened, and with it (hopefully) the slow implementation of MLS 3.0
- Nick Rimando posted 106 shutouts and over 1000 saves
It is a vastly different, and much better league than the one Howard left for Manchester United back in 2003. He knows that, of course -- if you've ever had a minute to speak with him, or listened to him do color commentary on NBC's EPL coverage, you'll know that he's sharp, and thoughtful, and a guy who tries to take in as much information as possible. Howard has spent a lot of time watching the league, so he won't be shocked about what he's coming back to.
The team he's coming back to won't shock him, either. The Rapids aren't one of the best in the Western Conference, though they have the elements you'd look for in a spoiler. Kevin Doyle is an experienced and reliable poacher; Sam Cronin is a smart and relentless d-mid (he was the best player on the field against the LA Galaxy last week), and I actually rather like their two young central defenders, Jared Watts and Axel Sjoberg.
If you have a solid spine and build from there, you can win in this league. Probably not a Supporters' Shield -- the last five years have proven you need true firepower to bring home that trophy -- but get to November and start pitching shutouts, and you can make a splash in the playoffs.
Howard, of course, has pitched a lot of shutouts.
So too, though, has Zac MacMath. At age 24, he has 30 MLS clean sheets; when Howard left for Manchester at age 24, he had 15.
The assumption is that Howard will walk into Commerce City and just take the job in mid-July, and that is probably the case. But...
I can finish that sentence. MacMath has been yanked around more than any 'keeper in MLS history over the last few years, but he's been excellent over the first two weeks, he's improved his previous weakness in terms of dealing with crosses, and he certainly looks the part of a No. 1 'keeper.
So as with every bit of good news Rapids fans have received this year (and yeah, getting Howard is good news), there is a bit of a warning flag as well. If things are rolling smoothly along for the next few months, can such a major change really be justified?
We'll see when we get there. For now, an Everton legend and the guy who did this vs. Belgium:
...returns to a bigger, better, more competitive league.
The people of Colorado are right to celebrate that.
