As Ocean City readies themselves for an early summer trip to Bermuda to face the Hogges on Friday and Sunday the soccer world focus is on South Africa. Most of the nations have gathered and are busy with finalizing their preparations.

Back in England Avram Grant has been confirmed as manager at West Ham but the turmoil he faces there may make him think he's still in Portsmouth. The Hammers face the loss of their premier striker, Carolton Cole and others which will make his job of saving West Ham all the more difficult.

But, CELEBRATION TIME OH YEAH (!) in Liverpool as public word of the effort to relieve Rafa surfaces. Some say he may be gone by the weekend. Things are looking up on the red side of Mersey. The difficulty they face was mentioned here back in November when Benitez was granted a new contract arrangement that included (for him) a very lucrative payoff if he were dismisssed. The board put themselves in a very difficult financial position in doing that making it nearly impossible from a money standpoint to deal with his failure to deliver for Liverpool FC. The encouraging news for fans is that apparently they have found a way to excise the boil that has fostered the decline in Liverpool's fortunes and that really is worth celebrating.

In South Africa USA prepares to face Australia in the final tuneup match for both with concerns over fitness of nearly half of the first 11, an undisciplined defense and wonder over where the goals would come from with their youthful and inexperienced front runners. Can they actually manage to score goals? Can the USA hold a lead if they do? Can they stretch any opponent they will face thereby relieving the pressure on the defense? Can they actually produce a clean sheet? So far this year in their 5 games they have conceded 11 losing 3 and managed to win only 2. And what about that supposed strong point of USA, the goalkeeper?

I'm serious. Accolades rain down on Tim Howard, and he has been terrific at Everton for certain. But he is no longer the sterling shot stopper he once was either. In the course of a match at international level most contests will produce at least two plays where for whatever reason (positioning error or perhaps just the bounce of the ball) the keeper's performance will determine whether his side wins or loses the game. Like it or not, that is just the way it is. On those occasions it is the keeper stepping up and making the crucial save that often makes the difference. If the keeper fails to do that, his side loses the game. Simple as that.

In recent matches when Howard has been that focal point he has not delivered that crucial game saving stop. Think Brad Friedel. Think 2002. On the other side think David Seaman of England who despite his excellence didn't deliver at those pivotal times and his team was eliminated as a result of it. Think Germany and Kahn whose stellar performances for years made them a much more difficult team to beat.

When the guys in front of him breakdown it is the man in the net that must make that miracle save to keep his team in the game. Often, it is the keeper that rises to Man of the Match status and saves the day. You know what? That is the keeper's role. If he does rise to the occasion and makes that save his team has a better than normal chance to progress in the competition. If he doesn't, they go home.

And in recent international matches, it has to be said, Tim Howard has not been that giant in goal for the USA. You can't help wishing for Brad Friedel when watching this version of Team USA and one of the reasons for that is Howard has not taken on that role. When the men in front of him have slipped up and created an opportunity for the opponents Howard has not made that crucial stop to cover for them and keep the team in the game. He simply has not done that. More often than not Howard is quick to rage at his defenders when what he perceives as an error on their part puts him in that position. And like it or not Howard has not risen to the occasion and made that miracle stop saving his team for another day.

In their most recent match with Turkey, where they did rally to win, Howard did not make that great save in the opening half to keep them in it. Yes, Spector carried the ball far too long and advanced far beyond where he should have and yes, no midfielder dropped back to cover the space he vacated. But, the last line of defense in such a case is the keeper and Howard failed to make the big save when called on to do just that. In fact, he didn't even get his fingers on it and was made to look pedestrian by the great execution of Arda.

Howard did't step up and produce what was needed at the time; a brilliant save to cover for the errors of teamwork in front of him. I'm not saying he's to blame, but this is just an example of one of those times when the team depends on a great keeper to make the difference. To step up and cover them for their error in judgement or execution. And Tim Howard has shown lately that he may not be that guy anymore and going into this World Cup that makes him a big a question mark for the Americans. When those occasions come up in a match as they are sure to do, is he the guy to make that great play or not? Truth be told his recent performances have made that an open question.

Instead of making that big stop and inspiring his mates in the process and cheering them to do better he is more likely to launch into a tirade of abuse because they put him in that position in the first place. Watch for this in the coming days. The negative response in such cases can be poison instead of positive and motivating. His approach used to be very different.

Howard's rise to overcome turett's syndrome and become the stunning young shot stopper for New York's MetroStars (now Red Bulls) that attracted the interest of Sir Alex at Manchester United was cheered around the country. Do you remember what put him in SAF's dog house and effectively resurrected the career of Edwin Van der Sar?

Think Mourinho and the Champions League encounter with Porto at Old Trafford (2004). Man United protecting the lead and approaching injury time looked solidly into the semifinal round. Then it happens; a charge forward and a challenging shot is pushed aside by Howard preserving the lead, for the moment. However, when he made that save he didn't push the ball over the endline or far enough away from goal and the follow handed Porto the away goal. Oh, did I mention Porto went on to win the Champions League for Mourinho and the rest, as they say, is history. It was a pivotal moment not only for Howard but for Jose too.

Howard stayed with Man United for a time but that match signalled a change in his status as far as SAF was concerned. He became United's keeper in League Cup and FA Cup early round games and played only sporadically in Premier League action. In Champions League he was in the net for losses that may not have been in any way his fault (a 3-0 defeat to Fenerbache for example), they were nontheless losses for SAF. In the background, dealing was in the works and Howard was sent on loan to Everton who then made the transfer permanent. Howard had resurrected his career and has become one of the top keepers in the EPL since making that move.

That said, is he still that supreme shot stopper and the keeper that makes that game saving stop when called upon to do so? World Cup 2010 is his opportunity to become that giant in the net again for the USA. If he does that, if he rises to the occasion and leads the team, they may actually get beyond the group stage. Tim Howard could carry the team on his broad shoulders but only if he makes that game saving stop more often than is expected. This version of Team USA is dependent on him having just that sort of impact for them to succeed. Goals will be hard to come by and the outcome of more than one match will depend on him making that big save to keep them in the game. You can count on it.

It is as true as the sun will come up tomorrow that goal keepers are rarely celebrated for their substantive contributions to the success of a team in such a big competition as the World Cup. The focus goes to the guy that head butts his way to infamy or the guy that gets away with a handball to score the goal that makes his team a winner. But rarely to the keeper that made the saves that allowed his team to lift the trophy. The keeper is rarely celebrated as the hero. It's the guy that won the Golden Boot that gets the headlines. Upside down? Perhaps, but again, that is the way it is.

As great as Brazil is, they also have the world's best keeper in Julio Caesar (it is no accident that his club team, Inter Milan, just won Europe's Champions League). The truly great club teams have that man that more often than not does rise to the occasion and makes that wonder save. And then there are great keepers like England's David Seaman that will be long remembered for his own errors that cost England on the world's biggest stage despite his years of superb goal keeping. Then there are those great keepers whose legend warrants derogatory nicknames such as David “Calamity” James because of his infamous blunders despite his long career of excellence. That James legend is part of why Capello has hesitated to name him England's number one. It may not be deserved given his most recent form but that is part of his baggage like it or not.

You can rest assured that some keeper will make those big saves that keeps his team in it, or spurs them on to punch above their weight. You can count on that too.

Will that man be Tim Howard?