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Brad Guzan


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Still second choice for USMNT

 

Brad Guzan just had the season of a lifetime with Aston Villa, displacing incumbent veteran Shay Given early in the process and then proceeding to save the Villa bacon time and again, providing Paul Lambert’s young men some time to grow into their feet.

Thanks in tremendous part to the club’s Player of the Year, the men of Villa Park live to fight another day in the vaunted Premiership.

And then Guzan stacked more check marks beside the 2013 report card with a pair of inspiring performances in U.S. goal, both in potentially nervy World Cup qualifiers. How sure handed did the guy look against the white (and probably treacherous) backdrop of snow-covered DSG Park against Costa Rica? And a few days later down in Cauldron Azteca, didn’t Guzan strike you as a man who has been doing this for years and years?

Yawn. … Stretch. … Collect another shutout at Azteca. … “Hey, boys, where ya’ll want to eat tonight?”

So it set the wonder wheel to whirring, didn’t it? Would Jurgen Klinsmann think about a shift in the goalkeeping order? A “shift” that would fall under the “seismic” category, by the way, considering that Howard has been the program’s No. 1 since 2007.

As shifts go, that would be like moving the national team’s training base from sunny Southern California to Wichita, Kan. And yet we began to wonder. Hmmmm …

Nah. Everton’s No. 1 remains the U.S. program’s No. 1. It’s trusty Timmy all the way, says Klinsmann. From a U.S. Soccer Q&A with Klinsmann that tumbled out today, alongside the 28-man roster announcement.

 

We are in a great position with our goalies. We are thrilled with Tim Howard and Brad Guzan and how they are doing with their clubs in the Premier League. I’ve said it many times: Tim Howard deserves to be in the top five in the world and Brad Guzan is catching up.

 

A little bit baffling from Klinsmann, there. How he could pick Howard ahead of Guzan on current form is just inexplicable, though I would not be complacent if I'm Tim Howard.

 

I can sort of understand it at this stage.

 

Howard is still a decent keeper, and the shirt is his. Plus Klinnsmann may well be thinking experience, especially at international level, counts for a lot for a keeper.

 

But it's hard to see how he can keep picking Howard if they keep up their respective forms. I wouldn't be surprised to see Brad given the shirt over the coming season.

 

 

PS read a whole Levi post. Get in!

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Still second choice for USMNT

 

Brad Guzan just had the season of a lifetime with Aston Villa, displacing incumbent veteran Shay Given early in the process and then proceeding to save the Villa bacon time and again, providing Paul Lambert’s young men some time to grow into their feet.

Thanks in tremendous part to the club’s Player of the Year, the men of Villa Park live to fight another day in the vaunted Premiership.

And then Guzan stacked more check marks beside the 2013 report card with a pair of inspiring performances in U.S. goal, both in potentially nervy World Cup qualifiers. How sure handed did the guy look against the white (and probably treacherous) backdrop of snow-covered DSG Park against Costa Rica? And a few days later down in Cauldron Azteca, didn’t Guzan strike you as a man who has been doing this for years and years?Yawn. … Stretch. … Collect another shutout at Azteca. … “Hey, boys, where ya’ll want to eat tonight?”

So it set the wonder wheel to whirring, didn’t it? Would Jurgen Klinsmann think about a shift in the goalkeeping order? A “shift” that would fall under the “seismic” category, by the way, considering that Howard has been the program’s No. 1 since 2007.

As shifts go, that would be like moving the national team’s training base from sunny Southern California to Wichita, Kan. And yet we began to wonder. Hmmmm …

Nah. Everton’s No. 1 remains the U.S. program’s No. 1. It’s trusty Timmy all the way, says Klinsmann. From a U.S. Soccer Q&A with Klinsmann that tumbled out today, alongside the 28-man roster announcement.

 

We are in a great position with our goalies. We are thrilled with Tim Howard and Brad Guzan and how they are doing with their clubs in the Premier League. I’ve said it many times: Tim Howard deserves to be in the top five in the world and Brad Guzan is catching up.

A little bit baffling from Klinsmann, there. How he could pick Howard ahead of Guzan on current form is just inexplicable, though I would not be complacent if I'm Tim Howard.

I can sort of understand it at this stage.

 

Howard is still a decent keeper, and the shirt is his. Plus Klinnsmann may well be thinking experience, especially at international level, counts for a lot for a keeper.

 

But it's hard to see how he can keep picking Howard if they keep up their respective forms. I wouldn't be surprised to see Brad given the shirt over the coming season.

 

 

PS read a whole Levi post. Get in!

I hope our Brad gets to play many, many first team games for his country; the experience will be good for him and us. Until then he will be fresher for us. Provided he keeps his form its a win-win!

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In fairness Howard is a top keeper in his own right and has been a regular in the premier league for 8 years now.

 

But yeah two clean sheets for Guzan now especially the one away to mexico so certainly a question mark there.

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  • 1 month later...

Well done Brad - well earnt!

 

(just hoping big Benteke follows suit!)

 

 

 

 

Brad Guzan has agreed a new four-year deal which will extend his Villa career to the end of the 2016-17 season.

The 28-year-old US international goalkeeperlb_icon1.png returned to pre-season training at the Bodymoor Heath Training Ground this morning along with fellow international players including captain Ron Vlaar, Christian Benteke, Andi Weimann, Yacouba Sylla and new singing Jores Okore.

Paul Lambert will take his squad to Germany tomorrow for a week-long training camp, boosted by the Club's player of the year in 2012-13 having committed his future long-term on top of the capture of defenders Okore and Antonio Luna, midfield players Leandro Bacuna and Aleksander Tonev, striker Nicklas Helenius as well as goalkeeperlb_icon1.png Jed Steer.

Weimann and fellow Academy graduate Nathan Baker have also agreed new deals this summer.

"This is just the start now, the start of hard work. We have to build on last year and go forward and that is very much the collective mindset at the Club," Guzan said.

"We grew together as a team last season and now it's time to kick on again. We'll welcome the new guys with open arms and allow them to join this special family that we've started to create from last season. It's an exciting time for the Club for sure.

"When you bring in new playerslb_icon1.png you have fresh bodies, fresh blood, fresh excitement and you need that to prevent things from becoming stale and guys getting complacent. You want competition for places, you want guys pushing each other and helping each other. When you bring in new faces it lifts everybody.

"For me, it's an honour and a privilege to play for Aston Villa Football Club and to commit my future long-term. I'm overjoyed by it.

"To have this opportunity to commit my future, with the plans and the future being what they are going forward, it's tremendously exciting and I know that's not just for me but for everybody, including the fans. This is what Aston Villa Football Club is all about, we're a very connected and very committed group and we want to strive to be the best we can possibly be going forward. What we're building here as a Club, what the manager is building could be very special.

"From a personal standpoint, especially after last season playing consistently through virtually the entire season, hopefully now I'm coming in to some good years ahead and to be able to do that at Villa is exciting. It's going to be good times ahead.

"It's always nice when you're wanted by a club. I've had some good years here at Aston Villa and to be able to commit my future just puts a smile on my face. I'm looking forward to the future and to the challengelb_icon1.png ahead."

Guzan joined Villa in July 2008 from Major League Soccer team Chivas USA.

As understudy to his compatriot, Brad Friedel, Guzan initially made his mark in cup competitionslb_icon1.png, most notably in the Club's march to the League Cup final in 2009-10.

His outstanding contribution last season was hailed by Villa manager Lambert as "colossal".

"Brad has been exceptional for the Club, really fantastic on and off the pitch," Lambert added.

"He's always bubbly around the place and a really solid character. He's a good guy as well which is really important. Overall, he's a credit to the Club."

 

http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~3229829,00.html

Edited by theboyangel
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Because in 3 years Baker and Weimann will be looking to negotiate what will probably be the biggest contract of their careers given that they'll be in their prime.

Guzan is older than them and already there.

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