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ESPN staff 7y

Mastroeni heaps praise on Colorado's 'transformational' Tim Howard in win

Tim Howard's penalty shootout heroics brought him up for huge praise from Colorado Rapids' coach Pablo Mastroeni as his team beat the LA Galaxy 3-1 from the spot to advance to Major League Soccer's Western Conference semifinals.

Howard, 37, kept a clean sheet for 120 minutes of regular and extra time. Shkelzen Gashi's 35th-minute wonder strike from long range put the hosts back on level terms with LA for the tie, following the Rapids' 1-0 loss at StubHub Center on Oct. 30.

And the otherwise dull match would end in a 1-1 aggregate scoreline, setting up a penalty shootout in which Howard saved two LA spot kicks to keep his team alive in its quest for an historic MLS Cup title.

The U.S. national team goalkeeper denied LA's Ashley Cole, while his Colorado teammates Marco, Pappa Sebastien Le Toux and Kevin Doyle all converted to set up Howard's save on Jeff Larentowicz's kick to give his team the win.

"I think it's been really what he's brought to the group from a leadership perspective when he set foot in the locker room," Mastroeni said after the match. "Obviously, for me, he's still one of the best keepers in the world.

"I think week in and week out he proves he's one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He's been fantastic this year in facilitating our attack from the back. It's just a real team presence, team guy, that wants to win more than anything else.

"That's the kind of people that we want at this club, people willing to give of themselves for the greater good. Again, he brings more than just his performance on the field. What he exudes as a human being has been transformational to the group."

LA boss Bruce Arena also tabbed Howard as the likely difference maker in the match, while adding he didn't feel either team were particularly good in the decisive second leg.

"Obviously they have a very experienced goalkeeper and we don't," Arena said. "Maybe [he was the difference], it's the goalkeeper today. So maybe it was a good investment bringing Tim Howard in [to Colorado].

"They're a good solid team. Not the greatest attacking team, but they defend well, they take advantage of the home field advantage here with the altitude and all. They push hard as a team, they battle for 90 minutes, and I think it has produced results for them."

Arena was happy with his team in the first half, despite conceding a goal that LA's Brian Rowe had little chance of saving.

"Maybe if our goalkeeper's technique is a little better, maybe he has a chance to make the save," Arena said. "[Gashi] hit a good ball, the ball moved, you could see it knuckle a little bit. I don't' think he was necessarily ready for the shot.

"But the shot hits off the post and goes in the side netting. What more can you say? It's the difference in the game."

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