Thursday morning was one of Brad Guzan's final training sessions as a professional footballer. It's something he's done thousands of times in his life, and all of the sudden, the days are numbered.
Today was the last training of his career before a match. But, to him, it was just like any other.
"What I envision tomorrow being is, and again, this is just kind of who I am, but it's a normal training session matchday minus one," Guzan said Thursday afternoon.
During Thursday's session, Guzan and the goalkeepers got active by playing keep-ups with an added net to bounce the ball off, sort of like a volleyball match with two teams trying to keep the ball in the air. They parked under the shade of the trees on the far side of Field 2 at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground, but you could hear the yells of competition when one team let the ball get away. Guzan's voice was, as always, the loudest.
"I hear him all the time. This building [is] quite big, but you can hear what room he is in," head coach Ronny Deila said with a smile.
Meanwhile, the outfield players played two-on-two soccer tennis. One of the best matchups was Bartosz Slisz and Alexey Miranchuk against Miguel Almirón and Ronald Hernández. There wasn't much else to Thursday's training, with the coaching staff trying to keep the squad fresh for their final match against D.C. United. They'll kick off at 6 p.m. ET Saturday, Oct. 18, looking to to end the season with a positive result.
Last hurrahs for Guz
Deila announced during his media availability that he'll give Brad Guzan one final start against D.C. United. It'll be a special and emotional moment for the goalkeeper, the squad, the city.
Speaking of emotional moments, there may not have been a dry eye in the press conference room Thursday afternoon. Guzan fought through tears speaking about his family's support throughout his career.
"Being a dad is the best," Guzan said through pauses. "As a kid, I wanted to be a perfect professional soccer player, and being a dad is the best thing
ever. Nothing compares ... I'm forever thankful. Seeing the smiles on their faces, if it was up to them, I'd be playing till I was 100 years old. There's no greater joy than being a dad."
Reflecting on an accomplished tenure with Atlanta United and an even more accomplished career as a whole, Guzan was overwhelmed with gratitude. The first-class guy he is, Guzan gave a thank you to the media in attendance for their coverage of him over the years. He thanked his mentors, guys like Tim Howard, Brad Friedel and more who paved the way for him to make waves. He told the city of Atlanta how much they've meant to him and his family.
How does the greatest goalkeeper in Atlanta United history want to be remembered? He could've mentioned winning trophies and reaching the highest of highs, but no. To Guzan, it's about something else.
"I [want to be remembered] as a competitor, as someone that gave everything for his teammates, gave everything for those around him, as someone that could be counted on," Guzan said. "I was certainly not short of any mistakes and whatnot, but somebody that was able to be resilient and bounce back and continue to fight. If guys were going into battle, they look back and they said, 'Hey, I got Brad, and we're gonna be okay today.'"
Much like what Guzan said about training, Saturday won't be any different from any other match in some ways. The leader between the sticks will say his words prematch and will be commanding the backline throughout the 90 minutes.
"It's normal for him to do this kind of thing, so he will be important as he has always been," Deila said. "We will do everything to honor a fantastic career, because he is a fantastic guy. He's an unbelievable leader. He's done so many unbelievable things in his career, so that's something we have to honor."
One last match for the 5-Stripes
Only D.C. United stands between Atlanta United and the end of the 2025 season. It's been a campaign of learning and hasn't at all gone the way the staff and squad have wanted, but Saturday night will be one last chance to end on a high note.
Deila understands the frustration that comes from a season of unfulfilled expectations. He called on his squad, and the club as a whole, to dig deep for the final match of the season.
"It's about standards every day," Deila said. "It's about daring to stand up for for what you need to get the results you want."
In their last three home matches, the 5-Stripes have played to extremes: a 1-1 draw with San Diego FC, a 5-4 offensive shootout of a loss to Columbus crew, a scoreless 0-0 with Toronto FC.
Which version of Atlanta United will we get Saturday night? If history is an indicator, it might be the low-scoring one. The reverse fixture with D.C. United July 5, a tense 0-0 draw at Audi Field, was a match of maybes. Both squads will look to get more attempts on goal, with each mustering just one in that match.
Though this D.C. United team sits in last place in the Eastern Conference, the match will be battle. This D.C. side leads MLS in yellow cards and is third in the league with 452 fouls on the season. Even on the very last matchday of the season, Atlanta United will have to prove their physicality and fight through contact.
Guzan will organize the defense and command the goal for the first time since August 16, but he hasn't stopped being a voice of authority all the while. If 17s weren't so loud in Mercedes-Benz Stadium during matches, you'd be able to hear the booming voice shouting instructions.
"These kind of players [are] not easy to find anymore," Deila said. "The leaders that [are] thinking about the team. It's going in front as a good example. He's vocal. He understands the game really, really well."
Guzan, now staring down his final match as a professional footballer, wants Saturday night to be one to remember fondly — not just for him, but also the fans in attendance.
"On Saturday, there might be one kid who this is their first time at Mercedes Benz stadium and their first time going to see Atlanta United," Guzan said. "We want to leave an impression on that one person that, 'Hey, I want to come back, and I like watching Atlanta united, and I want to become a lifelong fan.' That's our responsibility as players, as a team and as a club."
