One of the top MLS pickups of the midsummer transfer window was Brad Guzan, whose presence in the Atlanta United goal paid instant dividends as the defense gelled together in the second half of their inaugural season. Despite only joining the squad in July, Brad instantly propelled himself to the top of the league statistically.
Over 14 appearances for Atlanta United this season, Guzan allowed only ten goals over the course of 1260 minutes. That includes a 541-minute streak – more than nine hours of competitive action from September 16 to October 22nd – where he didn’t allow a single goal. That is in the record books as the sixth-longest shutout streak in MLS history.
Brad finished the year with eight clean sheets in the regular season, despite joining the team halfway through the year. In all, he allowed just 0.71 goals per game, the third-best average in league history with a minimum of 1,000 minutes played. His performances were noticed by the league, with one MLS Team of the Week honor and three MLS Save of the Week awards as voted by fans.
In just half a season, the U.S. international brought veteran leadership and a steady hand to the Atlanta United back line, adding the final piece to what became the third-best defense in the league this year. With another offseason under their belt, signs are looking good that the Five Stripes have found the right man to mind their net.
