United States

Brad Guzan signs with Middlesbrough, but probably won't be the starter

Published Jul. 29, 2016 12:35 p.m. ET

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Brad Guzan has signed with Middlesbrough, putting him right back in the Premier League two months after suffering relegation with Aston Villa. The United States goalkeeper will join Boro, where he will likely be the team's backup.

Guzan found himself in a tough situation. He didn't want to stay at Aston Villa, who were relegated to the Championship and trying to shed wages, so he had to make a move. There were limited options in the Premier League and almost certainly none where he would be handed the starting job. If he wanted to play in the English top flight, he'd have to fight for the starting gig.

At Middlesbrough, he's entering a crowded competition. The club signed Victor Valdes earlier this summer and the former Barcelona goalkeeper is the odds-on favorite to start this season. He hasn't played much over the last two years, when he backed up David De Gea at Manchester United, but he has experience at the highest level of club soccer and, at 34 years old, isn't so old that you'd expect much of a drop off.

Beyond Valdes, Middlesbrough still have Dimitrios Konstantopoulos, who was their goalkeeper for the last few seasons. They even have Tomas Mejias, who is a product of the Real Madrid academy.

In short, Guzan will have a tough road to starting.

What that means for his place in the U.S. team is still to be determined. Guzan was the American starter at Copa America Centenario, but if he spends the upcoming season on the Middlesbrough bench then he may not keep that job.

The competition isn't exactly stiff, however, with Tim Howard aging and no younger backstop breaking through for the national team yet. So, the future of U.S. goalkeeping is entirely up in the air and if Guzan isn't playing much for his club, that only clouds it further.

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