Tim Howard's EPL Club Everton Wants American Fans To Buy Its Merchandise

Belgium wasn't the only winner when it beat the United States at the World Cup on Tuesday. The U.S.'s Julian Green proved his selection as a 19-year-old was warranted, Belgium's Lukaku showed he deserves more playing time and the USMNT demonstrated it can hang with the world's best.

Everton, the Premier League club of USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard, also felt like a winner.

After the 35-year-old registered a half-century World Cup-record 16 saves in the U.S.'s 2-1 loss to Belgium, Howard was trending on social media and his fans were running on fumes with one even starting a petition to rename Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after the goalkeeper. With Howard's popularity at its peak, Everton realized early Wednesday this was its moment to capitalize.

Apparently, Everton noticed a trend in its Tuesday followers. Country codes were coming from the western hemisphere.

For Everton, today is a day to reel in new American fans and Howard fans. There is so much talk about the growing popularity of soccer in the United States and many Americans search for a European club to support. In an office in Liverpool, British marketing minds woke up Wednesday. Despite the offseason, today may be an early Christmas for the club. American fans have their tongues and wallets out for Howard, a new American hero.

A few hours after the initial batch of tweets, Everton came back with another push for new fans and its new 2014-15 goalkeeper jersey, which does not actually go on sale until July 17:

And by mid-day on the east coast of the United States, Everton made another rush for new American fans:

On the American football circuit, free agent running back Jacob Hester, an apparent Everton supporter, gave the English club an American boost. The former LSU star tweeted a picture of Everton and other Blues that was retweeted by the club:

Devout American soccer fans have known about Howard's world-class talent for a decade now, but for some casual fans, Tuesday was a revelation. As for Howard himself, he may have predicted such a performance in his senior year of high school:

Howard is one of Everton's longest-tenured players, as he was loaned to The Toffees in 2006 and signed in 2007. He has 297 appearances for the Liverpool-based side, which finished fifth in the Premier League in 2013-14. Howard's 15 clean sheets were third in the league.

He also has one goal with Everton, scored in January 2012 (wearing a camouflage goalkeeper kit):

The New Jersey native has 104 caps for the United States Men's National Soccer Team and he played every minute of the team's eight games in the past two FIFA World Cups.

-- Follow Jeffrey Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband.