Guzan’s First Tastes of MLS Have Been Bitter
The dream is rapidly turning into a nightmare for Brad Guzan.
Three months ago, Guzan, 20, was on top of the world. On Jan. 14, the youngster from Evergreen Park, Ill., became the first player chosen by Chivas USA in Major League Soccer’s 2005 draft.
Had Chivas not lost a coin a flip with fellow MLS expansion team, Real Salt Lake, it would have had the top overall pick and Guzan would have been the No. 1 draft choice. As it is, no goalkeeper in MLS history had been selected higher.
Guzan was elated. Getting the opportunity to play in MLS was the reason he left college after only two seasons at the University of South Carolina. Highly rated -- in 2004, he was a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy, soccer’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy -- he felt he was on his way.
But things first turned weird and then turned awful.
Chivas USA’s starting goalkeeper was to have been Mexico’s Martin Zuniga, a former national team player whose nickname, “El Pulpo” (the Octopus) suggests not only a long reach but also the ability to hold onto the ball.
Guzan expected to be Zuniga’s understudy, to learn from the 34-year-old veteran and, in a season or two, take his place.
But Zuniga was injured in a practice match against the U.S. national team and Chivas USA Coach Thomas Rongen had no choice but to throw Guzan, a hefty 6 feet 3 and 209 pounds, in off the deep end and make him the starter.
It has not worked out well.
After Saturday night’s 3-1 loss to the Galaxy, Chivas USA’s record stands at 0-3-1. Guzan has been in the nets for 360 deer-in-the-headlights minutes, during which he has faced 31 shots and given up 11 goals, or an MLS-worst 2.75 goals a game.
Criticism has been inevitable. This is just some of what Soccer America magazine had to say only three games into Guzan’s pro career:
“While possessing good size and sharp reflexes, [Guzan] has shown a remarkable aversion to leaving his feet. In conceding six goals in his last two games, not once did he hit the ground.”
When Guzan allowed FC Dallas’ Ronnie O’Brien to beat him with a long-range shot, Soccer America said he “should have done more than hop across his line and wave futilely” at the ball.
“When Guzan does dive, he can come up with the good save.... Sometimes keepers who know they’re beaten dive anyway, to make it look good. But Guzan, not diving when he must, looks pretty bad.”
Making the sort of mistake he made on O’Brien’s shot can be put down to rookie inexperience. But Guzan made an identical error Saturday against the Galaxy, when Jovan Kirovski beat him with a 20-yard free kick that curved into exactly the same upper left corner of the net.
Again, Guzan was slow to react, did not dive and failed to reach the ball.
Rongen, already feeling the pressure building down Guadalajara way, said what had to be said.
“He’s obviously been put in a very, very tough situation,” Rongen said. “Putting the youngest ‘keeper in MLS history in the fire, so to speak, it’s tough. As a coach, the one thing you don’t want to do is
“Unfortunately with Brad right now, especially in that position, where you’re a focal point, every goal [given up] seems to get huger and huger for him in terms of his psyche.
“It’s going to be tough for us to continue to tell him that we feel that he’s still a goalkeeper that can perform for us. Over time, it’s [likely to be] a great learning experience and it will probably make him a better goalkeeper. The unfortunate thing is that right now there are not too many positive things going his way.
“To put everything squarely on his shoulders would be the wrong thing to do as well. It is a total team effort and we haven’t done well in group defending and team defending, quite frankly.”
Chivas USA’s next game is on the road against the New England Revolution, which last Saturday put four goals past defending MLS champion D.C. United. That does not bode well for Guzan’s next outing.
Zuniga, meanwhile, is not expected to be ready for another two to three weeks. By that time Chivas USA might have dug a hole from which even the Octopus would have a tough time escaping.
*
Mexico plays Poland in a friendly at Soldier Field in Chicago on Wednesday night and the match probably will produce the largest U.S. soccer crowd of the week, if not the year.
Of equal, or perhaps more, interest to MLS, however, is Guatemala’s game against world champion Brazil in Sao Paulo on the same day.
Every player yearns for the chance to play against Brazil, and Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz and Guillermo “Pando” Ramirez are no exception. But their respective MLS coaches have reacted differently to the opportunity.
The Galaxy plays FC Dallas on Saturday at the Home Depot Center. By season’s end, the teams are expected to be in a close fight for the Western Conference title.
Colin Clarke, Dallas’ coach, has allowed Ruiz to travel to Brazil for the midweek match. Ruiz will not rejoin the team until Friday in Los Angeles.
Galaxy Coach Steve Sampson, taking an opposite approach, has declined Guatemala’s request for Ramirez, believing the travel will leave him drained come Saturday night.
Second-guessing the two coaches will begin Saturday, when it will be seen whether a happy Ruiz is more effective than a refreshed Ramirez.
