Brad Guzan
Encyclopedia
Bradley Edwin "Brad" Guzan (born September 9, 1984) is an American soccer player who plays for Aston Villa
of the Premier League.
, 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.
Guzan had an impressive freshman campaign with the Gamecocks, starting all eighteen matches in his first season at South Carolina. He finished the year with a 0.96 goals against average that was aided by eight shutouts; tied for the sixth-most in a season in school history. He was named to College Soccer News' All-Freshman team and was one of just two freshmen named to the NSCAA All-South team. He recorded 69 saves on the year, finishing with a 9–7–2 record.
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.
agreed a transfer fee in the region of £600,000, or $1.2 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. 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
. 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.
side Hull City
on a one-month loan deal. He made his debut for Hull on New Year's Day 2011, a 1–0 loss to Leicester City
. His second appearance for the club ended on a higher note, as his team went on to win 3–2 at Portsmouth
. He kept his first clean sheet for the club against Barnsley
in a 2–0 win for Hull.
On January 25, 2011, Brad Guzan extended his loan until the end of February. He made a total of 11 league appearances for Hull, before returning to Aston Villa on 28 February.
However, on 8 March Hull re-signed Guzan on an emergency loan due to an injury to their other goalkeeper Vito Mannone
. His first appearance back at the club was in a home match against Burnley
. 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.
. 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.
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|2008
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|2008–09
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Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
of the Premier League.
Early Career
Born in Evergreen ParkEvergreen Park, Illinois
Evergreen Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 25,044 at the 2009 census.-Geography:Evergreen Park is located at . The suburb is surrounded by the city of Chicago on three of its sides, while Oak Lawn and Hometown border it on the west...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, 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
Providence Catholic High School
Providence Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic secondary school located in New Lenox, Illinois. Located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet, Providence Catholic is a private school run by the Order of Saint Augustine. The president of Providence is Father Richard McGrath, OSA, with Mr...
in Illinois, from which he graduated in 2003. He went on to play two seasons in NCAA
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
competition as a member of the South Carolina Gamecocks men's soccer
South Carolina Gamecocks men's soccer
The South Carolina Gamecocks men's soccer team represents the University of South Carolina and competes in Conference USA. The team has been coached by Mark Berson since its inception in 1978 and has participated in 20 NCAA Tournaments, reaching the Quarterfinals on four occasions...
team, where he was a second-team All-American in his sophomore season.
Guzan had an impressive freshman campaign with the Gamecocks, starting all eighteen matches in his first season at South Carolina. He finished the year with a 0.96 goals against average that was aided by eight shutouts; tied for the sixth-most in a season in school history. He was named to College Soccer News' All-Freshman team and was one of just two freshmen named to the NSCAA All-South team. He recorded 69 saves on the year, finishing with a 9–7–2 record.
After spending two years with the Chicago Fire Reserves in the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
he chose to forgo the rest of his college years, signing a Generation Adidas
Generation adidas
Generation adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young soccer talent in the United States. The program, sponsored by adidas, encourages early entry of American players into MLS...
contract with Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
(MLS). Chivas USA
C.D. Chivas USA
Club Deportivo Chivas USA is an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada....
drafted Guzan with the second overall pick of the 2005 MLS SuperDraft
2005 MLS SuperDraft
The 2005 MLS SuperDraft, held in Baltimore, Maryland on January 14, 2005, was the sixth incarnation of the annual Major League Soccer SuperDraft. Expansion club Real Salt Lake had the first pick as the result of a coin toss . RSL drafted Under-17 midfielder Nikolas Besagno with the first selection...
.
Guzan has played for the Under-18 United States national team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
. He got his first cap for the senior national team on February 19, 2006, against Guatemala
Guatemala national football team
The Guatemala national football team is the association football team representing the country of Guatemala and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it affiliated to FIFA in 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF....
. On November 7, 2007, Guzan was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.
Aston Villa
On July 11, 2008, Aston VillaAston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
agreed a transfer fee in the region of £600,000, or $1.2 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
2008 Major League Soccer season
The 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 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
Work permit (United Kingdom)
The UK Work Permit scheme was an immigration category used to encourage skilled workers to enter the United Kingdom up till November 2008, when it was replaced by the points-based immigration system...
by the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
, allowing him to complete his move to Aston Villa. He was due to be officially introduced by Aston Villa after competing for the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. 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
Brad Friedel
Bradley Howard Friedel is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League....
.
Guzan made his Villa debut in September 2008, in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, at home to Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
.
He made his European debut in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
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
Martin O'Neill
Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, OBE, is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.Until resigning the post on 9 August 2010, he was manager of Aston Villa. Starting his career in his native Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham...
, 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
Brad Friedel
Bradley Howard Friedel is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League....
's red card.
Guzan played in every game that Villa won during their success in the 2009 Peace Cup
2009 Peace Cup
The 2009 Peace Cup Andalucia was an invitational friendly football tournament. It was the 4th edition of Peace Cup and was held in Spain from 24 July to 2 August in the cities of Madrid, Seville, Málaga, Jerez and Huelva. It was the first time that the tournament has been hosted by a nation other...
, against Atlante
Atlante F.C.
Club de Fútbol Atlante, is a Mexican professional football club, currently playing in the Mexican First Division League. The club is based in Cancún, Mexico as of the start of the 2007-08 season, when they relocated from Mexico City, and plays its home games in Estadio Andrés Quintana Roo.-Domestic...
, Porto and Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
. He helped Villa overcome the Italians in the final, notably in the penalty shootout where he saved the attempts of Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus. He is a strong striker who can also play on the wing.-Reggiolo:...
and Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, of which he is also club captain....
. The only game that Villa did not win (in the group stages against Málaga
Málaga CF
Málaga Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Málaga, Andalusia. The team currently plays in Spain's La Liga.Málaga CF is generally seen as the successor to CD Málaga, one of the most historical Andalusian football clubs, by being a near-identical looking football club that even shares...
) 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
Brad Friedel
Bradley Howard Friedel is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League....
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
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
at the Stadium of Light
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...
in the last 16 of the League Cup. Despite these heroics, Brad Friedel
Brad Friedel
Bradley Howard Friedel is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League....
replaced him in goal for the final against Manchester United.
Hull City (loan)
On December 31, 2010 Guzan was loaned to Football League ChampionshipFootball League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
on a one-month loan deal. He made his debut for Hull on New Year's Day 2011, a 1–0 loss to Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
. His second appearance for the club ended on a higher note, as his team went on to win 3–2 at Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
. He kept his first clean sheet for the club against Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
in a 2–0 win for Hull.
On January 25, 2011, Brad Guzan extended his loan until the end of February. He made a total of 11 league appearances for Hull, before returning to Aston Villa on 28 February.
However, on 8 March Hull re-signed Guzan on an emergency loan due to an injury to their other goalkeeper Vito Mannone
Vito Mannone
Vito Mannone is an Italian footballer who plays for Arsenal, as a goalkeeper and is a 'homegrown' player in Arsenal's official . He has made 9 appearances for Arsenal, the most notable of which was his Man of the Match display against Fulham in the 2009/2010 season that earned his side all 3...
. His first appearance back at the club was in a home match against Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
. Guzan's last game for Hull City came in a 2–1 win away at Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
on April 9, 2011, after which he returned to Aston Villa.
International Career
Since 2006, Guzan has established himself as the second-choice goalkeeper for the United States national team behind Tim HowardTim Howard
Timothy Matthew Howard is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Everton and the United States national team....
. He made his World Cup qualifying debut in the second leg of a second round qualifier against Barbados
Barbados national football team
The Barbados national football team, nicknamed Bajan Pride, is the national association football team of Barbados and is controlled by the Barbados Football Association. It has never qualified for a major international tournament...
(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
Trinidad and Tobago national football team
The Trinidad and Tobago national football team, nicknamed The Soca Warriors, is the national team of Trinidad and Tobago and is run by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation. It reached the first round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals...
and a 2–0 win over Guatemala
Guatemala national football team
The Guatemala national football team is the association football team representing the country of Guatemala and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it affiliated to FIFA in 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF....
. When Howard was suspended for a match at El Salvador
El Salvador national football team
El Salvador's national football team represents El Salvador in international football and is sanctioned by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol . In 1899, Santa Ana and San Salvador met for the first hosted football game in 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.
Statistics
|-|2005||rowspan="4"|Chivas USA||rowspan="4"|Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
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|2007
2007 Major League Soccer season
The 2007 Major League Soccer season was the 12th season in league history. The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18, 2007 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C.....
||27||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||27||0
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|2008
2008 Major League Soccer season
The 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 season:...
||15||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||15||0
|-
|2008–09
Premier League 2008–09
The 2008–09 Premier League season was the seventeenth since its establishment in 1992. Manchester United became champions for the eleventh time on the penultimate weekend of the season, defending their crown after winning their tenth Premier League title on the final day of the previous season...
||rowspan="3"|Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||1||0||1||0||5||0||7||0
|-
|2009–10
Premier League 2009–10
The 2009–10 Premier League was the 18th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. A total of 20 teams competed in the league, with Chelsea unseating the three-time defending champions Manchester United, scoring a Premier League record 103 goals in the process...
||0||0||0||0||2||0||2||0
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|2010–11
2010–11 Premier League
The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...
||0||0||0||0||2||0||2||0
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|2010–11
2010–11 Football League Championship
The 2010–11 Football League Championship was the seventh season of the league under its current name and nineteenth season under its current league division format...
||rowspan="1"|Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
||rowspan="1"|Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
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United States
- CONCACAF Gold CupCONCACAF Gold CupThe CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...
Champions (1): 20072007 CONCACAF Gold CupThe 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the ninth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean , and was won by the United States over Mexico. It was contested in the United States from June 6 to June 24, 2007.This competition was the third... - FIFA Confederations CupFIFA Confederations CupThe FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
Runners-Up (1): 20092009 FIFA Confederations CupThe 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...
External links
- Brad Guzan profile, detailed club and national team statistics, honors (palmares) and timeline
- Current Brad Guzan News at followUSsoccer.com