USA Eliminated from World Cup Despite An Epic Performance by Tim Howard

Without Tim Howard, it's reasonable to assume that the US wouldn't have stood a chance.

But, as they entered overtime riding on Tim Howard's epic performance in goal, there was a palpable sense that the US could still pull through against Belgium on a stroke of perfection the likes of which struck the US in the 2010 World Cup against Algeria.

In the 92^nd minute, the Belgians put the first point on the board, and twelve minutes later, put up a second. It was a huge blow to morale, but not even two minutes later, 19-year old prospect Julian Green volleyed a chip from midfielder Michael Bradley, setting the score at 2-1 and giving the US a glimmer of hope of pushing it to penalty kicks.

Alas, the US came up short, but not without its commendations: Tim Howard's 16 saves count as the most in nearly 60 years of World Cup play, and without him, the US likely would not have made it into overtime. He earned FIFA's prestigious Man of the Match award, something rarely given to a player on a losing team.

Howard's exceptional match launched a social media blitz all around the internet, with hashtags such as #TimHoward, #TimHowardsLegs, #TimHowardCouldSave, and #TimHowardForPresident trending worldwide on Twitter. Memes and image macros popped up almost immediately praising Tim Howard's goalkeeping ability. Many were exceptional, such as 'China has the Great Wall, the US has Tim Howard,' amongst others.

Someone even changed the Wikipedia entry for Secretary of Defense to Tim Howard, which was soon changed back by Wikipedia's fact-checkers. There is even a White House petition to change Washington, D.C.'s Washington Reagan National Airport to Tim Howard National Airport. It currently sits around 97,000 signatures away from the requisite 100,000 necessary to garner a response from the White House.

There is uncertainty as to whether or not Howard will be able to make the next World Cup, as he is already 35 and nearing the end of his international career. Whatever happens in four years, he can be rest assured that his legacy as one of the greatest, if not the greatest American keeper of all time, is set in stone.