After years as the backup, Brad Guzan relishes being starting U.S. goalkeeper

For most of his U.S. national-team career and nearly a decade, goalkeeper Brad Guzan was defined by what he is not.

Guzan was Tim Howard’s backup, his understudy, his maybe-one-day successor. Brad Guzan was Not Tim Howard, in other words, especially after Howard achieved national-hero status at the 2014 World Cup.

But with Howard receding into the shadows at the tail end of his accomplished career, Guzan has thrived as the team’s first-choice goalkeeper for Copa America Centenario.

Guzan pitched consecutive shutouts as the USMNT bounced back from defeat to Colombia in its tournament opener, he and a stingy back line leading the way to a first-place finish in Group A and a Seattle quarterfinal against Ecuador on Thursday night at CenturyLink Field.

It feels as though Guzan has been around forever — he earned his first USMNT cap in 2006 — but he’s still just 31 years old, a young pup in goalkeeping years. Howard, for example, was 35 when set the World Cup record for saves in a match with 15 in that remarkable extra-time loss to Belgium.

Guzan’s club status is uncertain, given Aston Villa’s relegation from the English Premier League, but he’ll have plenty of potential landing spots should he find his way out of the final year of his contract.

Guzan inherits the mantle of respected American goalkeepers who have made their names abroad. That lineage dates to Olympia native and former Sounder Kasey Keller, through Howard and with shout-outs to Brad Friedel and Marcus Hahnemann.

“I’ve been very, very lucky,” Guzan said, “playing and working with these guys and knowing what they put into the game, the respect they carry throughout the world for American goalkeepers. That’s something that I want to carry on. ”

Howard is on the team’s Copa America roster — as Guzan’s backup, in a twist of fate. The most capped USMNT goalkeeper of all-time will join the Colorado Rapids this summer after 10 seasons at Everton in the EPL, and Guzan credits Howard for a smooth transition of power.

“I have the utmost respect for him as a person and as a player,” Guzan said. “He’s been great with me, in terms of helping me step into this role.”

The life of a backup goalkeeper is a trying one, the clipboard holding quarterback of the soccer world. There are no garbage-time minutes, substitute appearances made only in case of injury.

Guzan has racked up 48 USMNT appearances, but a lot of them were in gimme qualifiers and off-year continental championships. He started throughout last year’s disastrous Gold Cup campaign, but only because Howard opted out.

Guzan had never been the team’s true No. 1 until now.

Guzan leans forward when he speaks, gigantic ’keeper hands clasped in front of him. Asked whether he doubted whether his time would ever come, Guzan answers firmly.

“I’ve always had confidence and belief in myself,” Guzan said. “When given the opportunity, you have to take it.”

This USMNT defensive unit is balanced and confident, four European club regulars plus Guzan starting in all three group-stage matches. That chemistry will be shaken Thursday, with former Sounder DeAndre Yedlin suspended for picking up two yellow cards in the 1-0 win over Paraguay.

“It allows everyone to feel that much more comfortable with each other,” Guzan said of the building continuity between Yedlin, Geoff Cameron, John Brooks and Fabian Johnson.

“In saying that, we’re confident in all of the guys on this team. Obviously, we’re going to miss DeAndre. But at the same time, we’re confident that whoever (coach) Jurgen (Klinsmann) selects to step in for him, he’ll do a great job. We’ve got no doubt about that.”