ORLANDO, Fla. -- Tim Howard already knows exactly what he'll do during the national anthem before Friday night's World Cup qualifying game between the United States and Panama: He will stand and sing, "audibly or inaudibly -- most people hope inaudibly," he said with a smile.
But, in an interview with ESPN on Wednesday, the longtime American goalkeeper also went on to strongly defend the rights of players who may choose to protest despite U.S. Soccer's policy prohibiting such demonstrations.
U.S. Soccer has a rule that players must "stand respectfully during the playing of national anthems," however Howard said he would understand if teammates chose to disregard the rule and take a knee, as many NFL players have done in recent weeks as a way to protest racial and social injustice.
"This is America," Howard said in an interview with ESPN on Wednesday. "They have the right to do whatever they want, whether there's a policy in place or not. That's what makes America great."
Howard said: "So, if any teammate of mine on any team I play for wanted to protest, honestly, I'd stand side-by-side with them and support them the same way I imagine they would support me from my own view."
Asked if he expected any teammates to take a knee before the match, Howard said he couldn't be certain but didn't expect it. Coach Bruce Arena said earlier this week that he doesn't "anticipate that happening" and would expect that any players thinking of protesting in such a way would talk with him about it beforehand.
"I think our guys are focused on the game," Arena said. "They have constitutional rights like anybody else. I can't tell you what would happen if someone expressed themselves in protest, if that's what that is."
U.S. Soccer created its policy last year after Megan Rapinoe knelt during the anthem while playing for the women's national team. Rapinoe said she knelt to show solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, the former NFL quarterback who initiated the protests during the anthem in the 2016 NFL preseason.
The policy does not specify any particular punishment if players violate it.
Howard said there has been some casual chatter among the players this week regarding the protests during the anthem but no significant formal discussions that he knows about. He also said that it doesn't matter whether he agrees or disagrees with the federation's policy because, in the end, it is the federation's right to create whatever rules it wants when it comes to how players representing the federation should behave.
"They are the governing body and they make rules," Howard said. "You decide whether to abide those rules or break them -- and that's your American right."