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By Jacen
For the uninitiated, Keeper Wars is sort of like an all keeper penalty shootout. You take 2 goals and set them up about 7 - 10 yards apart, and put one keeper in front of each goal. Each keeper then takes turns kicking, punting or throwing the ball and trying to score on the other keeper. (see the video on the right for a really real example) The contest can be won a number of ways. Usually a winner is determined by whoever has scored more times in an allotted amount of time. You can also do a format like first to 3, first to 5, etc. Some, other more unique ways to win are being the first to score with a kick AND a throw, or being the first to score in all four corners of the net. Today, we'll be doing a traditional "score more in the allotted time" set up. The scenario will be: Tim Howard vs Hope Solo, winner will be the one who scores most in 120 seconds. To determine our winner, we'll weigh the Pros and Cons of our two combatants and compare and contrast until we have it all figured out.
Tim Howard and Hope Solo both possess exceptional skill out on the pitch. To many, both can be considered among the Top 10 Best Keepers in the world, for both males and females, respectively. Yet there is a single difference. Where Tim sort of floats in that top 10, usually somewhere in the 5 - 10 spot range, the general consensus is that Hope Solo is THE best women's keeper in the world. By that rationale, Hope IS a better keeper than Tim is. But ultimately, you can't weight the two as equals because they are not. The demands and rigors of the men's game and the women's game are not comparable, so we'll have to adjust for that.
As for the players actual skills, here is where the real differences become apparent. Both keepers can be viewed nearly as equals on two major things: reflexes and personality. Both Tim and Hope have the skill to pull off incredible reflex saves, and well as having the natural instinct to get their nose in make dives and punches without waiting until the ball is a foot in front of them. And, as we've all seen in the past, both Hope and Tim can hold their own in a penalty shoot out (check the 2011 Women's World Cup Semi Final for Hope and the 2009 MLS All Star game shootout for Tim). As far as personality goes, both possess the two most important personality traitx that all keepers need: A determination to win and a hatred of conceding goals. They say to be a keeper, you need commitment and passion, in addition to being a bit crazy. Tim and Hope have all three.
But here is where equality ends. Strength would naturally be the most obvious place where a difference would be apparent. Here, Howard has the edge, no question. Tim's size affords him the natural advantage a taller person would have over someone who is a half a foot smaller than he is. Also, the diving save, a move that is essential for all keepers, is also tipped in Tim's favor. He has more range than Hope, mostly due to height difference. (Tim is 6'3 and Hope is 5'9) Tim can use his powerful legs and long arms to seemingly reach all corners of the net. Tim's size affords him other advantages as well. He can make the goal incredibly small behind him, and when it comes to making himself big, many forwards have found themselves kicking right into Tim as opposed to past him. Yet size is not everything. Tim occasionally has trouble getting low and stopping rollers from slipping into the twine. Here is where Hope excels. She can drop and pop better than almost every keeper out there, making secure both the higher and lower parts of the goal. Hope also jumps more frequently than Tim does, erasing a good part of the height difference, especially since most of the players Hope is defending against are not as tall as say the players in the Barclay's Premiere League. Speed is also on Solo's side. Tim, who is very fast himself, cannot quite match the quick movements that Hope can pull off. Stamina is another important factor. A keeper is going to see more action in Keeper Wars than they might in a normal 11 on 11 match. Here again, Hope Solo may have the advantage. She is not only younger than Tim is, but most of her career has been spent playing for her national team as well as being on the Olympic squad, as women's club footy is largely undeveloped throughout most of the world. Sure, the Premiere League is no place for slouches, Tim's age might be his undoing in this contest.
What that leaves us with is scoring ability. Both Tim and Hope have a ferocious goal kick at their disposal, yet in Keeper War, that might not work as effective as a good finishing shot. Here Tim and Hope each have a unique way they could score, which the other player might not possess. For Tim, it is the throw, and for Hope Solo, it's the drop kick. As most fans know, (well, the American one's at least) it was Tim's missile-like throw that set in motion the game winning play for the USA vs. Algeria in the 2010 World Cup. The incredibly accurate Jabulani rocket Tim can launch could serve him very well. Only downside would be that Tim could become very tired very quickly if he was over reliant on the throw. By the same token, Hope Solo's special scoring strategy, the drop kick, might ultimately prove another double edged sword. If you look a few postings back, you'll see the video of the day that featured Hope Solo, Abby Wambach and David Letterman kicking footy balls at passing taxi's, trying to get one of the balls into the cab itself. Hope was the only one able to do it. She has a real sharp kick that could easily breeze past an unwary keeper. Yet Tim is no ordinary, and very infrequently unwary keeper. The time that Hope would need to take her drop kick might give Tim the chance to get himself into position.
Well, now that we have all of that overly long detail aside, it's time to pick our winner.
And that winner is:
Tim Howard, by an eyelash. It is not a victory that comes lightly. Hope Solo would definitely be able to give Tim a run for his money. Yet in the end, we feel that Tim's strength, range and expirience would give him the things he needs to just inch ahead and be the Keeper Wars Champion. No disrespect to Hope, she is no slouch, and deserves a win just as much. But we have now spoken!
First Keeper Wars Champion... Tim Howard!
Also, please enjoy the two videos we have posted below. Both video are keeping highlights for Tim and Hope. You can review these videos and determine for yourself who you think should be the Keeper Wars winner.
All videos curtesy of YouTube.
Jacen Curathers is a writer, co-editor and co-founder of the Captain's Armblog. He enjoys reading, drinking himself into a stupor, and playing as a fake, unrealistically talented version of himself of FIFA 11. He invites readers to email him anytime at thecaptainsarmblog@gmail.com.
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