Former Gamecock Guzan, US men’s soccer team seek to keep momentum

Brad Guzan is intent on following his disappointing spring with a title in the CONCACAF Gold Cup

Guzan, a former South Carolina standout, earned the starting job at Aston Villa over Shay Given early in the 2012-13 season but was replaced by Given in April, losing a chance to start in the FA Cup final, which the Villans lost to Arsenal 4-0.

With Tim Howard on a one-year sabbatical from the U.S. national team until September, Guzan will be the starter for the Americans in the Gold Cup, where the U.S. opens next week against Honduras.

“Any time you’re in professional sports, there’s going to be ups, there’s going to be downs,” Guzan said ahead of Friday’s exhibition against Guatemala. “It’s a test of your character. It’s a test of your mentality, how you bounce back from those times when they don’t go your way, and you have to try and find a way to move forward from those.”

U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann believes experience helped Guzan put the adversity of the spring behind him.

“Coming through the last couple of weeks, the end of Premier League when things didn’t go his way, it’s not easy to swallow for anybody, but he’s 30 years old,” Klinsmann said. “He went through a lot of stuff overseas, and he can handle it. We had a couple of good talks, and he’s full of energy now.

“He’s in a very positive spirit. He wants to prove now that he’s a deserved No. 1 goalkeeper of the United States, which he is.”

This story was originally published July 2, 2015 at 11:08 PM with the headline "Former Gamecock Guzan, US men’s soccer team seek to keep momentum."