Davis' Discussions: Brad Guzan

Although the keeper, starting in Howard's absence on the U.S.'s two-game swing through Europe, couldn't keep Marek Hamsik's penalty out of the net during Saturday's 1-0 loss to Slovakia, he showed off his growing talents with two world-class saves in the second half that helped the Americans remain in the match.  

Guzan will earn his 15th cap against Denmark and he relishes the chance to further establish himself in the eyes of Bob Bradley, the rest of the coaching staff, and his teammates.  

"For me, this camp was just another camp to come in, to work hard, to try get some games under my belt, and to help the team be successful," he said.  

Unlike most goalkeeping prospects, Guzan didn't start playing in the net full time until his freshman year in college. (He earned All-Midwest honors during senior year in high school while playing central defense and midfield and leading the tiny Providence Catholic High School to the state tournament.) He spent two years at the University of South Carolina, but only had a goalkeeping coach during his freshman year.  

"Only having that one year under my belt, going in I was obviously hoping for a little bit of a better situation, but you deal with the cards that you are dealt and then get on with it," he said. "There's no time to sit there and complain about this or that." 

Guzan left school to sign a Generation adidas contract and in 2005, became Chivas USA's first ever draft pick. At No. 1, he was the highest goalkeeper ever selected in Major League Soccer's SuperDraft. The netminder spent three years honing his game in southern California, winning the league's Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2007. The next summer, Villa swooped in and paid around $1.2 million for his rights.   Although Guzan hasn't played as much as he would like at his EPL club, he prizes the opportunity to learn from Friedel. The former U.S. No. 1 -- who, coincidentally, is known around the world as one of the best at stopping penalty kicks -- is helping his young counterpart understand the game.  

"In terms of training he's definitely the type of guy that helps me in little situations and gives me little pointers here or there just from his experiences," Guzan said of Friedel, also noting that the opportunity to speak with U.S. international who's gone through the rigors of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying is invaluable.  

Of course, being the back up gets old quickly. But while Villa's No. 2 might wish for more playing time, he sounds content for the moment.  

"The manager and the coaching staff are extremely happy with my performances," he said. "The performances that I've been given and the opportunities that I've been given, I've done well in. On that side, they are very pleased. Right now, they are looking to keep me in the club to train day in and day out with the coaching staff of Villa. We'll see what happens in the next couple of months."  

As Mr. Reliable continues his transformation into Mr. Spectacular, it will be harder and harder to keep him off the pitch.

One suspects, however, that he'll continue driving an SUV to the training ground.  

Noah Davis covers the United States Men's National Team for Goal.com.

For more on the U.S. National Team visit Goal.com's dedicated page.