Tim Howard was drug tested after 16-save performance

Tim Howard put together one of the greatest ever performances from a goalkeeper in a World Cup match on Tuesday. The 34-year-old tied a World Cup record with 16 saves and shattered the previous US mark of nine. Can any drug test really be random after a game like that?

During an interview with “Mike and Mike in the Morning” on Wednesday, Howard was asked what the conversations were like in the locker room after his team’s loss to Belgium. He said he didn’t get to hear all of them since he was being drug tested.

“I got dragged into drug-testing – again — randomly, so I didn’t hear all of them,” he said, via The Big Lead. “I think once I got back into the room it was quiet. Like you said, it was somber. No words can make you feel better. Some guys had tears. Some guys kept sitting quietly. It’s tough.”

Mike Golic then joked that the 10th or 11th save probably takes the “randomness” out of the drug testing.

“Someone else said that as well,” Howard admitted. “Maybe.”

Plenty of players are tested for performance-enhancing drug use throughout the World Cup, so it was probably a coincidence. People thought it was suspicious when FIFA tested seven Costa Rican players after their upset win over Italy, too. We wouldn’t exactly be shocked if unusually good performances factor into the decision making process.