For most US national team players, this summer’s Copa America Centenario will likely be the only time in their career they’ll have a chance to test themselves against all of South America’s finest.
But for goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who Jurgen Klinsmann named the US’s No. 1 on Saturday, it’ll be his second go-round at the tournament.
Guzan was part of the relatively inexperienced US squad that participated in the 2007 Copa America in Venezuela. Unlike this summer’s competition, that tournament, which began just days after the US won the 2007 Gold Cup, followed the competition’s traditional format of 10 South American teams and two guest nations vying for the CONMEBOL title.
The US, who also had 2016 Copa participant Kyle Beckerman on the roster in 2007, fared poorly in Venezuela, losing all three of their matches by a combined 8-2 margin to finish last in Group C.
While the results weren’t exactly positive, the tournament was good experience for Guzan. Only 22, he had yet to make his move from Chivas USA to Aston Villa and was just starting his USMNT career. After backing up Kasey Keller in the Americans’ first two matches, he earned a valuable cap in the US’s final match. More importantly, he picked up a healthy understanding of just how much the Copa means to South American countries – something he plans on using to his advantage this summer.
“I had the opportunity to go down to Venezuela and be a part of that team,” he told reporters from USMNT camp on Monday in Dallas. “That was probably – maybe not a younger team, but maybe a less experienced team – and obviously that was a busy summer that year. So to take that experience, you have a taste of what it means for those other countries, of what the Copa America means to them.”
The U.S. lost 1-0 to Colombia in Guzan’s lone appearance at the 2007 tournament. He’ll have another shot at Los Cafeteros in the Copa America opener at Levi’s Stadium on June 3, and he’s hoping that match – and the entire tournament – goes a little better for the Americans.
“It’s a huge opportunity on so many different levels,” Guzan said of this summer's tournament. “In terms of us as a team to play against great teams in a big tournament that means something, it’s huge. For the sake of the country and US Soccer in terms of hosting such a big tournament, like I said, it’s big on so many different levels. For us as a team and us as players, it’s nice to be a part of something that’s so widely known.”
It’ll also be a huge opportunity for Guzan individually. Now 31, he’s coming off a miserable year for Aston Villa, who finished last in the English Premier League and were relegated. Guzan, who was benched on two different occasions this year, is reportedly drawing interest from a pair of EPL clubs and is open to returning MLS. He could use a big summer to help land a new deal.
A solid tournament could also conceivably give Guzan, who has backed up Tim Howard for most of his international career, his first firm hold on the USMNT’s starting goalkeeper job.
“It’s always nice to get a run of games and to be a part of this,” he said. “And when you have the manager’s backing, it’s always nice. So yeah, that’s a bonus.”
