End-of-year roster moves were announced Tuesday and 22 players will be returning in 2025. One of those players who had their contact options exercised is none other than goalkeeper and captain Brad Guzan.
After many people doubted Guzan heading into the 2024 season, he came into 2024 and proved that he isn’t done playing yet.
“Every day he comes in with a smile on his face. It doesn’t matter if we won or if we lost, he’s always that constant. You hear him coming from a mile away. He’s loud. Spark Plug is perfect, but on the field, he’s that leadership. That veteran presence. When I haven't been on the field and he has been on the field, he’s almost like a coach on the field,” said Dax McCarty to the media before the Eastern Conference semifinal against Orlando. “Certainly in the Miami game, the third game, that galvanized everyone when he fell into the net and did his whole dance inside the net. That was a moment that we can look back on as certainly one that pushed the team forward and was a catalyst for us to go and get that win. Brad is fantastic. He has been fantastic all year though. It’s not like he’s just starting to play well the last month, he has been great all season.”
McCarty wasn’t the only one who thought that Guzan was a catalyst against Miami not only in Game 3, but in the whole series. Garth Lagerwey spoke about Brad Guzan in his media availability yesterday. He talked about the Inter Miami series and how Guzan was a pivotal piece in Atlanta's take down of the best team in MLS this season.
“Brad beat Miami, right?” said Garth Lagerwey when asked about bringing Guzan back for the 2025 season to the media yesterday.
In Game 1 against Inter Miami, Brad Guzan had eight saves which set a new club playoff record. He also didn’t allow Lionel Messi to add to the score sheet, but the Five Stripes lost 2-1 and were in another must-win scenario.
“I heard Brad [Guzan] messaging to them that they’ve got to come back to Atlanta, pick your heads up, there’s another game,” said Rob Valentino after the 2-1 loss to Inter Miami back on back on Oct. 25. “Right away he’s showing his leadership qualities about picking everybody up. That was my message to them, that on the whole with everything we’ve faced they’ve been so resilient.”
Guzan told the media in postgame what his message was to the team after they lost in Game 1.
“We’ve had our backs against the wall for quite some time now. When our backs have been against the wall, we’ve found a way,” said Guzan after the 2-1 loss in Game 1. “Our backs are against the wall now, we’ve got to go into Game 2 and we’ve got to win. Plain and simple. That’s all we can do. We’ve got to rest, we’ve got to recover and then we’ve got to prepare to go again.”
He was right. Atlanta found a way and won Game 2 at home thanks to a wonder goal from Xande Silva to make it 2-1. Atlanta was back in Fort Lauderdale for an eventful Game 3.
“I think the iconic moment of the series for me is when we give up the second goal to Miami and the kid pushes Brad into the back of the goal. He gets up and Suarez is in his face and he stands up to him physically like you could just watch the group draw strength from that,” said Garth Lagerwey to the media yesterday when asked about the decision to bring Guzan back for the 2025 season. “I really think that was the inflection point where not only were we going to go down in that because that was the equalizing goal, but we were going to beat these guys.”
You could feel that strength as the game continued. This team wasn't going to give up. When Atlanta regained the lead, for the last 10 minutes, Guzan made a few more key stops to keep the lead. Guzan led this team to the Eastern Conference semifinals where the Five Stripes’ playoff journey would come to an end.
“We were going to go toe to toe with them and not back(ing) down. I think Brad, not just through his goalkeeping, but through his leadership really showed what he brings to the table, and I think he made such a difference for us in that set in that series. We're really excited to bring him back again next year,” said Lagerwey.
Brad Guzan has seen it all. He signed with the Five Stripes back on Jan. 26 2017 and has been here ever since.
“We’re always looking to evolve the squad,” Darren Eales, former ATLUTD Club President said back on July 18, 2017 to the media. “Brad Guzan ticks three boxes we need: first his play on the pitch. This is a guy who’s played more than 150 times in the Premier League, so he’s played at the top level. Secondly, the leadership qualities Brad brings to us. The fact he’s captained his country, he’s also played in MLS. We’ve got a young core of the team with young South American players, but we need that MLS experience, we need that know-how and savvy in the locker room. And the final thing was his character. The way we’ve built this club, the connection we’ve tried to build with the fans and the community, it was really important that we have players that have great character, and in Brad we know we have someone that ticks that box as well.”
Guzan had a stellar 2024 starting in 32 games, played 3,300 minutes and had 6 clean sheets. He also played his 300th game in MLS in the Eastern Conference semifinal against Orlando City SC on Sunday, Nov. 24. Guzan is the 10th goalkeeper in MLS history to reach 300 combined regular season and postseason appearances.
Through every high and low Atlanta United has been through, Brad Guzan has faced it. He has been a consistent voice within the club and is a leader off and on the pitch. His leadership can be seen in training when he gives advice to the young and upcoming Jayden Hibbert and to his other teammates after a scrimmage.
As Guzan enters his 20th season as a profession, dating all the way back to Chivas USA and 2005, his mentality is the same as ever. "It's a whole new book that gets opened come 2025. The book of '24 gets closed and a new one opens. And so, there will be pieces from '24 that carry on into '25. But more or less, it's a whole new book."
O Captain! My Captain! Looking forward to more outrageous saves in 2025 from the big, bald wall.
✍️: Madison Crews
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