Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan has been cast into the role of spectator, and occasionally broadcaster, as he recovers from a season-ending Achilles injury suffered two months ago against FC Cincinnati.
The 37-year-old made his debut as an analyst during the club's regional broadcast of the American Family Insurance Cup on Tuesday against Pachuca. On Sunday, with Atlanta holding a 1-0 lead over 10-man Inter Miami CF, he was a halftime guest in the ESPN booth with Jon Champion and Taylor Twellman.
Guzan's lengthy career has seen the Chicago native serve as the United States men's national team's former No. 1 goalkeeper, with 64 international caps to his credit. But with Arsenal-bound Matt Turner and Zack Steffen embroiled in a battle for first-choice honors going into the World Cup in Qatar later in the year, he echoed Twellman's sentiment that it's Turner at this point, but noted that things could change.
"We still have four to five months to go before the World Cup, and we know that the situation that he's going into at Arsenal with a bit of a question mark there, so the situation isn't ideal," he said.
What of New York City FC 'keeper Sean Johnson, who has been on a terrific run of form of late in MLS, especially with Steffen lacking consistent playing time at Manchester City and Turner possibly second-choice behind Aaron Ramsdale?
"I'm not sure if I have an answer for you right here, right now," Guzan told Twellman. "I think the next four or five months are certainly going to provide a lot of answers going forward in terms of form, in terms of confidence, playing regularly, playing important games, so I think we're all going to have to wait and see."
