<
        >

          Tim Howard on track to make debut for Colorado Rapids vs. Portland Timbers

          • ESPN staffJul 4, 2016, 11:59 AM ET

          Tim Howard is on track to make his highly anticipated debut for the Colorado Rapids against the Portland Timbers on Monday night.

          "There's a very good possibility," Rapids coach Pablo Mastroeni said, though he wouldn't reveal any of his starting lineup.

          "I think it's in the back in everyone's mind, for it to come to fruition. For Tim to get here, meet his teammates and finally get a game under his belt would be fantastic."

          Howard sealed his return to MLS in March, then saw out his final season with Everton before joining up with the U.S. squad for the Copa America.

          The goalkeeper trained with Colorado for the first time last Monday, and he's now eligible to play for his new club as the MLS secondary transfer window opened on Monday.

          "I feel great," Howard said before training on Sunday. "That's what I love to do: compete and play. Obviously I'm preparing [to start]. I'm ready."

          The 37-year-old credited the Rapids' defense for propelling them to the top of the Western Conference standings.

          "It gives me huge confidence," he said. "I'm just trying not to be the one who screws it up.

          "They've been fantastic and obviously there's a cohesion there. They've built that camaraderie, trust and understanding. It's up to me to figure out how things work and jump into the frying pan."

          Mastroeni said he had no concerns about Howard teaming up with the Rapids' staunch back line.

          "It will take some time, but he's well-traveled, has great experience and has played at the highest level," the coach said. "I think his integration will be seamless."

          Howard's arrival means relegating Zac MacMath to the bench after he'd kept six clean sheets through 16 games.

          "It's an unenviable situation," Mastroeni said. "Man management is a difficult part of the job and there's a lot of difficult conversations to have. In the end, you make the decisions that best help the team get a result."