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Celtic still on the Guzan trail

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When Scottish champions Celtic re-signed goalkeeper Artur Boruc, it was believed that its pursuit of American goalkeeper Brad Guzan would end.

Not so fast.

According to sources, Celtic is still hot on the trail of Guzan, who the club can groom to be the next starter once Boruc leaves the club. Italian powerhouse AC Milan has been trailing Boruc and is expected to make a play for the Polish goalkeeper this summer.

So why re-sign a goalkeeper just to sell him? Well, in case you forgot, Celtic is playing in the Champions League knockout round AND is fighting with Rangers at the top of the Scottish League standings, so you can’t blame the Hoops for not wanting to let Boruc leave and hand the reigns to a 23-year-old American with no European experience.

The more likely scenario would be to sign Guzan, groom him to replace Boruc, ride Boruc through the Champions League and rest of the Scottish season, and sell Boruc in the summer, when Guzan would presumably be ready to take over.

What do you think of Guzan potentially making a move to Celtic? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. “Whooa! You know, have you watched Boruc during the Champs League? Hes good, but nothing special when you match him up to US goalkeepers IMO”

    Sorry but that is so untrue it’s not even funny. Boruc has been absolutely sensational in the Champions League. Last year against Milan at the San Siro was dubbed “one of the best goalkeeping performances ever” by some Italian press. He was extraordinary against Man Utd as well and in Lisbon against Benfica he was superb again. Boruc was a standout for Poland in the World Cup, getting man of the match against Germany. You clearly haven’t watched Boruc at all if you think that. US Goalkeepers are good but not in Boruc’s league. Boruc is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. And I hope Celtic get Guzan, he will love life at paradise.

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  2. I’d be a bigger Brad Guzan fan if he didn’t look like my paperboy. Get that guy a proper haircut.

    Oh, and a move to Celtic is perfect for him, because he’ll get seasoned behind a pro, learn the league, step in and play for a few years, and then make the big move. All Americans looking to go abroad should heed this path (I’m looking at you Danny Szetela and Johann Smith).

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  3. I’ve been wondering who would be the next great USA goaltender. It’s actually been a while. In the last five years, really only Tim Howard has crossed the pond. It’s been a dry spell for young goalies.

    A few good candidates:

    Guzan is obviously very good. He still make the occasional gaff but is ready for the upper European leagues.

    Ray Burse Jr. holds a great deal of promise but still makes positional mistakes. He needs a starting job and he’ll work through those issues quick enough. Best he stays in MLS for playing time.

    Chris Seitz looks promising too but is in need of playing time as well. This is the sort of player that should be loaned out to USL1 if he can’t get first team time in MLS. Too bad the US Pro System isn’t that sophisticated yet.

    As a side note, I note that each of these goalies were the top goalie taken in the draft. Maybe that position is easier to scout than others where we see some of the best rookies drafted low.

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  4. people slagging Guzan as compared to Boruc obviously haven’t watched Guzan play much. He is INCREDIBLE. To the point that Howard is no lock for 2010. (hell, even Seitz is going to push them because he is outstanding as well)
    Boruc is obviously more polished at the moment, but Guzan would slide in with little difficulty and probably be sold 2 years later to a top Premiership club. Ives’ scenario makes perfect sense to me.
    I only wish the Guzan to Arsenal rumors game to fruition.

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  5. Martek– have you seen Onstad play recently? That statistic means nothing. He’s old. Guzan has unfulfilled potential yet. I would easily name Guzan as the best in MLS.

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  6. Guzan isn’t afraid to be physical and has the body build to stop an oncoming attacker. That kind of quality makes him an excellent candidate to be a starting goalkeeper in the Scottish league, let alone his reflexes and foot skills. I think Celtic should be Guzan’s next step, as opposed to Arsenal or Olympiacos. (Guzan to Arsenal reminds me of Tim Howard to Man U and I don’t like it.)

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  7. Guzan is awesome. I think this is a fantastic move. I was beginning to wonder who the next big USA goalie would be until this past season. He’s outstanding and looks every bit like our goalie for the future. Therefore, let’s get him overseas kicking butt.

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  8. shirteesdotnet, believe me, if the Holy Goalie were here, he would be in the Best XI every year. As a Celtic supporter, I can tell you that Boruc is easily the best at Paradise in some time and we all live in fear of him getting a huge payday somewhere else. And yes, I know Guzan is good — very, very good even — but he’s still just the second-best goalie in MLS (Hello Pat Onstad and his best-in-the-history of MLS record goals against average). I just don’t see how Guzan would interest Celtic all that much as Mark Brown is every bit as good. That’s why I think the rumor is just that.

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  9. That’s a pretty big club to go to. CL experience, and a decent league in the SPL. If he shows well at Celtic FC, he could easily jump to an elite team.
    That doesn’t surprise me that AC Milan is after Boruc, Dida is a bum.

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  10. “The Holy Goalie is ensconced there right now, and though I like Guzan, that’s a pretty big dropoff from Boruc to him.”

    Whooa! You know, have you watched Boruc during the Champs League? Hes good, but nothing special when you match him up to US goalkeepers IMO.

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  11. Guzan’s come a long way since his first year at Chivas USA. Believe me, WE WILL MISS THIS GUY. Heart of gold. Patrols the pipes like a rabid beast. If he goes, EastLAChiva will have to summon the mariachis to give him a proper East LA Send off.

    Celtic FC will have smoe new fans, too.

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  12. Does Guzan have some eligibility for an EU passport that we don’t know about?

    Otherwise, I have a hard time seeing Guzan ending up anywhere in the UK during this transfer widnow as he is nowhere close to having enough caps to get a work permit.

    Until someone explains how Guzan is going to be allowed to work in Britain, I have a hard time taking this talk seriously.

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  13. If we have learned anything about work permit rules in the UK it’s that the big clubs get work permits approved almost automatically. I also think that it is easier to make a case for making an exception out of a goalkeeper since there is only one starter per national team.

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  14. If we have learned anything about work permit rules in the UK it’s that the big clubs get work permits approved almost automatically. I also think that it is easier to make a case for making an exception out of a goalkeeper since there is only one starter per national team.

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  15. I just have to wonder whether Guzan is really all that better than Mark Brown, Celtic’s current reserve. The Holy Goalie is ensconced there right now, and though I like Guzan, that’s a pretty big dropoff from Boruc to him. I find this rumor to be a little fishy because why would you sign something you already have, a pretty decent back-up keeper.

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  16. Sounds great to me. It’s kind of depressing though that big name European teams only come for our keepers.

    Either way, let’s hope it happens. Having another world-class keeper in the MNT pipeline can never be a bad thing. Should provide some healthy competition come 2010 in the MNT pool. Howard, Hahnemann, Guzan… wow.

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