Five questions with Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan before the 2019 MLS season and defense of their championship:
Q: How is the team manager taking to Frank de Boer’s coaching?
A: First few weeks have been good, from my point of view.
Preseason is a time for everyone in terms of fitness to try and get back to full fitness and find that understanding on and off the field. That’s been really good.
A change in manager and coaching staff, with that comes a little bit of a learning cure. It’s been good so far.
Q: How is the team playing differently under de Boer?
A: We're not playing differently.
There’s certainly moments, be it on the defensive side of the ball, different shapes that Frank wants us to be in to try to limit certain spaces on the field for opponent. Those are things that are we trying to grasp and understand.
Q: Is it too early to tell if team will be better?
A: It's a new year. Anytime there's a new season, regardless of whether previous was good or bad, everyone starts from scratch. Teams have seen us. They have a better understanding of what we are trying to do. From our point of view that's going to create a challenge.
When you win the MLS Cup, there’s always a target on your back. More times than not you are going to get the opponent’s best effort.
Q: What other teams have made important changes and can challenge y’all?
A: Not to many important changes but Red Bulls are always a team that can cause issues for you. Always a very good team.
In the West, a team that we played in the preseason, LAFC is a very good team, very well coached and organized.
Also we start the season with a team that had our number last year in D.C. For us, it’s going to be important to get off on the right foot and start the year inn a positive way.
Q: Who on Atlanta United is going to be the biggest surprise?
A: I wouldn't say surprise, but going off this preseason, someone like Miles Robinsson. He's had a very good preseason. He's going to have an opportunity to have a big year. Exciting for him as an individual and as his teammate.
When you come off winning a championship, it’s important all of us have the right approach to the season.
In certain aspects, it will be harder than last year. It’s always a challenge for us as a group.
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