AP
Over the course of the 120 minutes played between the U.S. and Belgium on Tuesday, U.S. men's national team goalie Tim Howard became an American hero. Someone changed the Wikipedia entry for U.S. Secretary of Defense to Tim Howard, and the hashtag #ThingsTimHowardCouldSave blew up Twitter. (He could even save Blockbuster, apparently.)
Despite Howard's 16 heroic saves, Belgium still topped the U.S. 2-1 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2014 World Cup. And if you watched the game, you know that it probably shouldn't have even been so close - Belgium dominated possession and out shot the U.S. 39-17. If not for Howard, it could have been a total rout.
SquawkaFootball put together an awesome graphic that illustrates Belgium's unwavering attack over the 120 minutes. It doesn't make the U.S.'s loss sting any less, but might - as you fire up the barbecue for the 4th of July - make you especially grateful for Tim Howard, the greatest American of our lifetime.
How Belgium peppered Tim Howard's goal yesterday. Animated at 5 minute intervals. 39 shots. #BEL #USA http://t.co/IOMXyeTx84
- Squawka Football (@Squawka) July 2, 2014