Brad Guzan (born September 9, 1984 in Evergreen
Park, Illinois) is an American soccer goalkeeper who
currently plays for C.D. Chivas USA of Major League
Soccer.
Guzan played his youth soccer at the Chicago Magic
Soccer Club and went on to play two seasons of
college soccer at the University of South Carolina,
and was a second-team All-America in his sophomore
season. 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 MLS.
Chivas USA drafted Guzan with the second overall
pick of the 2005 MLS SuperDraft.
Guzan had a good rookie year for the expansion club,
beating out Mexican veteran Martín Zúñiga for the
starting job.
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.
Ever since he appeared in the Milk Cup in 2003,
Guzan has found himself linked with a host of top
European clubs, and his superb performances in the
2007 MLS Season (in which he won the Goalkeeper of
the Year award), as well as with the U.S. National
Team have made interest even stronger. Though he is
most often linked with a move to Arsenal, he has
also been linked to Premier League side Liverpool,
Aston Villa, Greek heavyweights Olympiacos, as well
as French side AJ Auxerre. As of January 2008 Guzan
is training with Scottish Premier League Champions
Celtic with a view to agreeing on a permanent
contract. Villa have recently submitted a bid of $4
million, doubling a previous offer by Celtic.
On January 31st, Brad Guzan's move to Aston Villa
collapsed after a work Permit was rejected by the
Home Office.
