Brad Guzan

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Brad Guzan

Guzan playing for the United States in 2013
Personal information
Full nameBradley Edwin Guzan[1]
Date of birth (1984-09-09) September 9, 1984
Place of birthEvergreen Park, Illinois, United States
Height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Playing positionGoalkeeper
Club information
Current clubAston Villa
Number1
Youth career
2003–2004South Carolina Gamecocks
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2004Chicago Fire Premier13(0)
2005–2008Chivas USA79(0)
2008–Aston Villa68(0)
2011→ Hull City (loan)16(0)
National team‡
2008United States U235(0)
2006–United States24(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:48, 29 January 2014 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19:00, 20 October 2013 (UTC)
Guzan (dressed in yellow) lines up with Aston Villa team-mates prior to a UEFA Europa League match away at Rapid Vienna in August 2009.

Bradley Edwin "Brad" Guzan /ˈɡuːzən/ (born September 9, 1984) is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for English Premier League club Aston Villa and the United States national team.

Club career

Early career

Born in Evergreen Park, Illinois, Guzan, who is of Polish-American ancestry, played his youth soccer at the Chicago Magic Soccer Club, and for the varsity soccer team at Providence Catholic High School in Illinois, from which he graduated in 2003. He went on to play two seasons in NCAA competition as a member of the South Carolina Gamecocks men's soccer team, where he was a second-team All-American in his sophomore season.[2]

Chivas USA

After spending two years with the Chicago Fire Reserves in the USL Premier Development League he chose to forgo the rest of his college years, signing a Generation Adidas contract with Major League Soccer (MLS). Chivas USA drafted Guzan with the second overall pick of the 2005 MLS SuperDraft.

Guzan has played for the Under-18 United States national team. He got his first cap for the senior national team on February 19, 2006, against Guatemala. On November 7, 2007, Guzan was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.[3]

Aston Villa

July 11, 2008, Aston Villa agreed a transfer fee in the region of £600,000, or $1 million, with MLS and Chivas USA to sign Guzan, significantly less than the £2 million agreed to in Aston Villa's failed move for the keeper in January 2008. This was because Guzan would have been out of his contract at the end of the 2008 season in November, allowing him to sign for Aston Villa during the January transfer window on a free transfer.

On August 1, 2008, Guzan was granted a work permit by the Home Office, allowing him to complete his move to Aston Villa.[4] He was due to be officially introduced by Aston Villa after competing for the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Guzan was the second American goalkeeper called Brad to be signed during the summer by Villa, following the capture of Premier League veteran Brad Friedel.

Guzan made his Villa debut in September 2008, in the League Cup, at home to Queens Park Rangers.

He made his European debut in the UEFA Cup game away at Slavia Prague on November 6, 2008. The match finished 1–0 to Aston Villa with Guzan making several saves to keep a clean sheet. His performance led to his manager, Martin O'Neill, describing him as a "class goalkeeper in the making." He also started in Villa's first leg against CSKA Moscow in round 32 of the UEFA Cup at Villa Park on February 18, 2009, and came on as a substitute against Liverpool after Brad Friedel's red card.

Guzan played in every game that Villa won during their success in the 2009 Peace Cup, against Atlante, Porto and Juventus. He helped Villa overcome the Italians in the final, notably in the penalty shootout where he saved the attempts of Vincenzo Iaquinta and Alessandro Del Piero.[5] The only game that Villa did not win (in the group stages against Málaga) was the one in which Guzan did not feature. Despite having a successful pre-season period, Guzan was dropped from the first team in favour of compatriot and Premier League veteran Brad Friedel for Villa's opening game of the 2009–10 season, against Wigan Athletic.

On October 27, 2009, Guzan saved four penalties in one match, one in normal time and three more in a penalty shoot-out win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in the last 16 of the League Cup. Despite these heroics, Brad Friedel replaced him in goal for the final against Manchester United.[6]

Hull City (loan)

Guzan playing for Hull City in 2011

On December 31, 2010 Guzan was loaned to Football League Championship side Hull City on a one-month loan deal.[7][8] He made his debut for Hull on New Year's Day 2011, a 1–0 loss to Leicester City.[9] His second appearance for the club ended on a higher note, as his team went on to win 3–2 at Portsmouth.[10] He kept his first clean sheet for the club against Barnsley in a 2–0 win for Hull.[11] On January 25, 2011, Brad Guzan extended his loan until the end of February.[12] He made a total of 11 league appearances for Hull, before returning to Aston Villa on February 28.[13]

However, on March 8 Hull re-signed Guzan on an emergency loan due to an injury to their other goalkeeper Vito Mannone.[14] His first appearance back at the club was in a home match against Burnley.[15] Guzan's last game for Hull City came in a 2–1 win away at Watford on April 9, 2011, after which he returned to Aston Villa.[16][17]

Return to Villa

On December 3, 2011, Guzan made his second Premier League appearance for Villa coming on for the injured Shay Given against Manchester United. Given had been ruled out for a month with a torn hamstring so Guzan retained his place in the first team, giving him an extended run in Aston Villa's first team.

Guzan was released by Villa at the end of his contract in June 2012.[18] However, he was linked with a return to the club over the summer in a situation similar to that of fellow Aston Villa goalkeeper Andy Marshall in 2010. On July 16, 2012, Guzan was included in new manager Paul Lambert's 25-man squad for Villa's tour of the United States and the same day, the player confirmed via Twitter that he had renewed his contract and rejoined the club.[19][20]

He made his return for Aston Villa against Newcastle United putting in a Man of the Match performance in a 1–1 draw at the St James' Park.[21] He kept Villa's first clean sheet of the season in a 2–0 win against Swansea City and performed well enough to keep his position in the starting lineup. At the end of the 2012-13 Premier League season, he was voted the Aston Villa Player of the Year thanks to his large contribution to Villa's survival.[22] On July 6, 2013, Guzan was rewarded for his play and signed a four-year contract extension with the Midlands club.[23]

On July 18, 2013, Guzan stated that he hoped to give Aston Villa the best years of his career and said that signing a new contract was a "no-brainer".[24]

On 28 September 2013, Guzan remarkably got an assist for Andreas Weimann in a 3-2 win against Manchester City in which Paul Lambert praised Guzan's distribution technique for goal kicks.

International career

Guzan (right) with the United States national team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup

Since 2006, Guzan has established himself as the second-choice goalkeeper for the United States national team behind Tim Howard. He made his World Cup qualifying debut in the second leg of a second round qualifier against Barbados (with the US up 8–0 and having all but secured advancement). He later started in two semifinal matches after the U.S. had secured advancement to the final round—a 2–1 loss at Trinidad and Tobago and a 2–0 win over Guatemala. When Howard was suspended for a match at El Salvador due to accumulated yellow cards, Guzan started and helped earn a critical 2–2 draw. Guzan also started the USA's 3–0 win over Egypt in the 2009 Confederations Cup. On May 11, 2010, Guzan was named to the U.S. national team's provisional 30-man World Cup roster.

Since then, Guzan has sat back as a second choice to keeper Tim Howard. While Howard was recovering from a back injury, Guzan started in two World Cup qualifier matches in the fourth round in March 2013. He did not allow a goal during either match, picking up a 1-0 win over Costa Rica at Dick's Sporting Goods Park and an historic 0-0 draw against Mexico at Estadio Azteca.

Career statistics

Club performance League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
USA League Open Cup N/A North America Total
2005Chivas USAMajor League Soccer24000--240
200613000--130
200727000--270
200815000--150
England League FA Cup Football League Cup Europe Total
2008–09Aston VillaPremier League1010105080
2009–1000305020100
2010–110000102030
2010–11Hull CityFootball League Championship1600000-160
2011–12Aston VillaPremier League801010-100
2012–133600010-370
2013–142300000-230
Total USA 79000--790
England 8605090901070
Overall 16305090901860
As of 23:48, 29 January 2014 (UTC)

Honors

United States

Aston Villa

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Premier League Clubs submit Squad Lists" (PDF). The Football Association. February 2, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2012. 
  2. ↑ "Chivas USA picks GK Brad Guzan – MLS SuperDraft 2005". OurSportsCentral. January 5, 2005. 
  3. ↑ "Chivas USA's Guzan wins top goalkeeper". Retrieved November 7, 2007. 
  4. ↑ Michaels, Steve (August 1, 2008). "Villa Given Guzan Work Permit". Goal.com. Retrieved August 1, 2008. 
  5. ↑ http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/News/0,,10265~1741264,00.html
  6. ↑ McNulty, Phil (February 28, 2010). "Aston Villa 1–2 Man Utd". BBC Sport. Retrieved April 26, 2010. 
  7. ↑ "Tigers land Guzan". Sky Sports. December 31, 2010. 
  8. ↑ "Aston Villa loan Brad Guzan to Hull". Dailymail.co.uk. December 31, 2010. Retrieved June 13, 2013. 
  9. ↑ "Hull 0–1 Leicester". BBC Sport (BBC). January 1, 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2011. 
  10. ↑ "Portsmouth 2–3 Hull". BBC Sport (BBC). January 3, 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2011. 
  11. ↑ "Hull 2–0 Barnsley". BBC Sport (BBC). January 15, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2011. 
  12. ↑ "Hull City extend the loan of Villa keeper Brad Guzan". BBC Sport (BBC). January 25, 2011. Retrieved January 25, 2011. 
  13. ↑ "Hull City sign David Amoo but Brad Guzan exits". BBC Sport (BBC). February 28, 2011. Retrieved March 12, 2011. 
  14. ↑ "Hull City re-sign Aston Villa keeper Brad Guzan on loan". BBC Sport (BBC). March 7, 2011. Retrieved March 12, 2011. 
  15. ↑ "Hull 0–1 Burnley". BBC Sport (BBC). March 8, 2011. Retrieved March 12, 2011. 
  16. ↑ West, Jon (April 11, 2011). "Watford 1 Hull 2: Brad Guzan's Had A Hull Of A Good Time". Daily Star. Retrieved April 13, 2011. 
  17. ↑ O'Rourke, Pete (April 11, 2011). "Guzan seeks Villa talks". Sky Sports. Retrieved April 13, 2011. 
  18. ↑ "Senior trio Guzan, Heskey and Cuellar head Villa released list.". Aston Villa F.C. May 23, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2012. 
  19. ↑ "USA Tour: Confirmed Villa party set for flight". Aston Villa Football Club. AVFC. July 16, 2012. 
  20. ↑ "Twitter / bguzan: Excited to be going back to villa and what the future holds! Was a relaxing break,but looking forward to seeing the boys today!". Brad Guzan. Twitter. July 16, 2012. 
  21. ↑ Nursey, James (September 3, 2012). "Brad Guzan is determined to keep Shay Given out of the Aston Villa team". Mirror.co.uk. Retrieved June 13, 2013. 
  22. ↑ Creditor, Avi (May 7, 2013). "Guzan named Aston Villa's Player of the Year". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved June 13, 2013. 
  23. ↑ "Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan signs new four-year deal". Sky Sports. July 6, 2013. Retrieved July 6, 2013. 
  24. ↑ "Guzan: I'm delighted to be giving Villa the best years of my career". Aston Villa F.C. July 18, 2013. Retrieved July 18, 2013. 

External links

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