ORLANDO, Fla. -- Brad Guzan left MLS in 2008 and spent nine seasons in English soccer while becoming a regular for the US national team. And after his MLS return Friday night in Atlanta United’s 1-0 win at Orlando City SC, and he raved about the distance the league has come in his absence.
“I have watched the league from afar and the support around the world is great,” he insisted. “The league has gotten bigger, it’s gotten better, so to be back in it is exciting. For us to be an expansion team and to be able to put together the performances and, ultimately, the results that we are is something pretty special.
“But as well as the quality of play getting better, the understanding of tactics has gotten better. Nine years away in football terms is a long time, so to come back into a league that I left – Orlando definitely didn’t have a team and they surely didn’t have a stadium [like this] – and an atmosphere like this on a Friday night, on ESPN, it’s something special for the league for sure.”
Guzan was a rock for United, making five saves to stiffle the Lions and keep Atlanta's expansion-team playoff bandwagon rolling along smoothly.
More importantly, he calmly marshaled a backline that was given a serious test in a trying environment, earning him major plaudits coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino for becoming the team’s security blanket with an instant rapport that he readily acknowledged.
“I knew I’ve been coming here for a few months now, so to finally be here and have the opportunity to go on the pitch and play with these guys in a real game, it is easy to say ‘we’ now,” Guzan said. “And I definitely felt good. I’ve played with Parky [Michael Parkhurst] before and I’ve played with Greg [Garza] before.
“I spoke to Anton [Walkes] leading up to the game, and obviously Leandro [Gonzalez Pirez]. His English is really good, so he understands. But the thing about all these guys, not just the backline, they are football players. They understand the game, they’re good with their brain, they’re good with their ideas. When you put that together with the quality they have at their feet, then it’s easy.”
Guzan’s last game in MLS was for Chivas USA in 2008, before he was snapped up by Aston Villa in the Premier League, making 144 appearances for the Villans as well as spending time with Hull City and Middlesbrough.
Although it was Guzan’s first appearance for Atlanta, he had no difficulty in picking up the strand of United’s season so far and the importance of their fourth road victory.
“I’m happy, but more important than me coming back into the league it was important to go on the road and find a way to get a result,” he said. “Road wins haven’t been the easiest for us to come by, so to come to a place like Orlando, where we know they are a good team, and take all three points is a good feeling.”
He also paid tribute to Hector Villalba’s stunning pile-driver that broke the deadlock in the 87th minute.
“His goal was unbelievable,” he said. “It was a great strike. But I’ve seen that now a few times in training so you know he’s got that quality. Leading up to it, you thought maybe it would be one of those games where it finished 0-0. It was always going to be a small margin of difference and that obviously ended up being the special moment of the night.”
