Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan was taken off in the 73rd minute of their scoreless draw to FC Cincinnati on Saturday after suffering an injury to his Achilles. On Monday, the club confirmed that the former USMNT goalkeeper suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in his right leg with no immediate date for surgery in what is a massive blow for Atlanta.
Guzan has been their No. 1 goalkeeper since 2017 and offered a steady presence in net, collecting 47 clean sheets for the Five Stripes. Guzan was also a key cog in Atlanta’s MLS Cup final victory in 2018. Wednesday’s Lama Hunt U.S. Open Cup match against Chattanooga will the first time Atlanta has not fielded a single starter from the 2018 MLS Cup final
Bobby Shuttlesworth subbed in for Guzan and will likely deputize for the time being, but as this injury will likely sideline Guzan for the season. If you’re the Atlanta front office, calling Minnesota United for Tyler Miller makes a lot of sense for both sides as Dayne St. Clair has taken over as the starter for the Loons.
As Ozzie Alonso has already gone down for the season and Josef Martinez is sidelined after having surgery to remove debris from his knee which was related to prior injuries, each day brings a new challenge for Atlanta coach Gonzalo Pineda. The hope is that the front office can back him with good fallback plan because the Five Stripes are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference and they’ll want to make another MLS Cup run this season.
