Western Counties Soccer

Tim Howard and his USA team will face off against Trinidad & Tobago in a crunch World Cup qualifier on Thursday following an international friendly against Venezuela in Salt Lake City.

The USMNT have qualified for the last four World Cups on the trot, but they appear at risk of ending this streak having fallen behind Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama in the standings.

Even a win for the USA versus Trinidad does not guarantee them the third place unless Costa Rica manage to secure all three points against Panama. Argentina have often fallen short against Bolivia at altitude in the World Cup qualifiers, but the USMNT appear to be in a better shape with Rapids players Howard and Williams (Trinidad & Tobago) having a sound knowledge of their home ground, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

In the pre-match press conference, Howard, who enjoyed a long and successful career in England with Manchester United and Everton, affirmed that it would be hard for anyone playing at altitude for the first time but he is confident that the national team will prevail on the day, he said: "There’s not much advice you can give if you’re not prepared for it, because it sucks. But we’re prepared, so we’re hoping that we can run them into the ground and that our guys are ready."

Meanwhile, Howard appears to have also placed a friendly wager with his compatriot Williams on the opposite end with the loser likely to face a minor punishment depending on the result. According to New York Times, Williams will have to relocate his locker room nearby the bathrooms, should USA win while the opposite result could see Howard sit with the rookies for the season. Howard has seen the highs and the lows with the United States, and he will be hoping to reach one final World Cup before calling quits on his professional career.