NEW YORK, Sporting Alert – Tim Howard returns in goal for USA in tonight’s friendly international game against Costa Rica at Red Bull Arena.
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The Everton goalkeeper was on the bench in the U.S. 3-2 defeat to Mexico in the CONCACAF Cup playoff game over the weekend, but has gotten the nod tonight, as Brad Guzan, who started that game, has been left on the bench.
Brad Evans, Geoff Cameron, Michael Orozco and Tim Ream are in a shake-up back four for the game tonight, with DeAndre Yedlin starting in the midfield.
Getting starting places as well tonight are Daniel Williams and Brek Shea, with Jermaine Jones also playing in the middle.
Gyasi Zardes and Jozy Altidore lead the attack, while Clint Dempsey and several others were released by head coach Jurgen Klinsmann after the Mexico defeat.
Bobby Wood, who scored to even the game at 2-2 against Mexico remains on the bench, so too are Jonathan Spector, Andrew Wooten and Lee Nguyen.
Meanwhile, for Costa Rica, Arsenal forward Joel Campbell, one of the bright sparks for the country at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, leads the attack.
Real Madrid No. 1 goalkeeper Keylor Navas will lead things from the back, with Cristian Gamboa, Kendall Waston, Nhlanhla Zwane and Oscar Duarte also starting in the back.
Bryan Oviedo, Celso Borges, David Guzman, Johan Venegas and Marco Urena all start as well.
This might be regarded as a friendly game, but should the United States lose again, it will certainly pile on more pressure off head coach Klinsmann, with many calls from the public wanting the German coach to be fired.
Remember to follow the action live on ESPN and the WatchESPN App for those who in the United States and Canada. Replay of the game is also on ESPN3.
USA TEAM: Starting XI vs. Costa Rica Howard; Evans, Cameron, Orozco, Ream; Yedlin, Williams, Jones, Shea; Zardes, Altidore (C). SUBS: Guzan, Hamid, Alvarado, Spector, Diskerud, Nguyen, Wood, Wooten.
