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The Philadelphia Union are "disappointed" with Everton's decision not to play American star Tim Howard
The MLS Eastern Conference leaders believe that they have been misled by Everton, who only informed the Union this week that Tim Howard wouldn't play in Wednesday's match.
Jul 19, 2011 6:58:00 PM
By Alex Labidou
Getty
After playing in a lengthy Gold Cup tournament earlier in the summer, Everton decided to rest its star American goalkeeper Tim Howard for its friendly match against the Philadelphia Union. Unfortunately, the Chester, Pa, club didn’t get the memo.
The Union are extremely disappointed with Everton for not being forthright in its plans to rest Howard according to the Philadelphia Daily News. The team had been promoting the match as an opportunity to see Tim Howard lead the Toffees, who aren’t as recognizable stateside without the 32-year-old star player.
Union CEO and operating partner Nick Sakiewicz said he only learned about the decision this week.
"We were under the impression he was coming and playing," Sakiewicz said to the newspaper. "We’re obviously disappointed he is not coming but it will be a good game anyway."
This is just another blow to the already heavily criticized friendlies between Major League Soccer clubs and teams from abroad, which has already seen an MLS regular season match canceled and injuries to two major players, Manchester City’s Yaya Toure and the Colorado Rapids’ Conor Casey, due to the temporary grass used over turf fields - all for games that have little meaning aside from marketing Premier League clubs.
It has almost appeared as if MLS and the organizers of the friendlies are more concerned with the well-being of its foreign visitors over that of the domestic league.
Everton’s manager David Moyes believes that Everton didn’t mislead the Union and said it should have been obvious that Howard wasn’t going to play after a grueling tournament.
"Would you not know that if he played for the national team all summer that there would be a rest and he wouldn’t be here?" Moyes asked reporters during today’s press conference.
Still, Sakiewicz believes that the Merseyside club should have made it very clear that the goalkeeper wouldn’t be traveling with the team, because the friendly was arranged prior to the Gold Cup, and the tournament ended almost a month ago on June 25.
"We understand the need to rest players and have no issue with that," Sakiewicz said. "It just would have been nice to know."
Howard has remained stateside after the United States’ heartbreaking 4-2 loss against Mexico last month. Moyes said that Howard will rejoin the team after its friendly against DC United on Saturday.
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The Union are extremely disappointed with Everton for not being forthright in its plans to rest Howard according to the Philadelphia Daily News. The team had been promoting the match as an opportunity to see Tim Howard lead the Toffees, who aren’t as recognizable stateside without the 32-year-old star player.
Union CEO and operating partner Nick Sakiewicz said he only learned about the decision this week.
"We were under the impression he was coming and playing," Sakiewicz said to the newspaper. "We’re obviously disappointed he is not coming but it will be a good game anyway."
This is just another blow to the already heavily criticized friendlies between Major League Soccer clubs and teams from abroad, which has already seen an MLS regular season match canceled and injuries to two major players, Manchester City’s Yaya Toure and the Colorado Rapids’ Conor Casey, due to the temporary grass used over turf fields - all for games that have little meaning aside from marketing Premier League clubs.
It has almost appeared as if MLS and the organizers of the friendlies are more concerned with the well-being of its foreign visitors over that of the domestic league.
Everton’s manager David Moyes believes that Everton didn’t mislead the Union and said it should have been obvious that Howard wasn’t going to play after a grueling tournament.
"Would you not know that if he played for the national team all summer that there would be a rest and he wouldn’t be here?" Moyes asked reporters during today’s press conference.
Still, Sakiewicz believes that the Merseyside club should have made it very clear that the goalkeeper wouldn’t be traveling with the team, because the friendly was arranged prior to the Gold Cup, and the tournament ended almost a month ago on June 25.
"We understand the need to rest players and have no issue with that," Sakiewicz said. "It just would have been nice to know."
Howard has remained stateside after the United States’ heartbreaking 4-2 loss against Mexico last month. Moyes said that Howard will rejoin the team after its friendly against DC United on Saturday.
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