Beckham shoots down Cosmos, Monaco links

David Beckham is finding out about his latest destination possibilities the same way his fans are, so it seems.

With rumors about his potentially joining the second-division NASL New York Cosmos as a part-player/part-technical staffer and recent reports of conversations with French side Monaco swirling about, Beckham played down the chatter, saying he was finding out third-hand like most everybody else.

"I've been hearing the Cosmos thing for the last two or three years," Beckham said. "No, it's not true. My manager has not had conversations on that side. That's definitely not true.

"I heard the Monaco thing on the way to training this morning from my friend in London. He said, 'Are you going to Monaco?' That was the first I heard of that."

Beckham has also been linked to Premier League sides Queens Park Rangers and West Ham and French side Paris St-Germain recently in addition to shock moves to other continents such Australia.

"I'm very flattered by some of the interest that I've had," Beckham said. "It's always nice to be recognized by managers and good managers. The fact that I've still got managers like Carlo Ancellotti, Harry Redknapp, Sam Allardyce, managers like this coming out and saying that they'd love me to play and they know how professional I am, it means a lot to me."

Beckham looking forward to ownership role in MLS after playing career ends

David Beckham will leave Major League Soccer as a player after the MLS Cup final on Dec. 1, but he plans to return as an owner once he retires. 

The English midfielder announced this week that he will leave the LA Galaxy following the cup final against the Houston Dynamo, with one last playing stint ahead. After that, he plans to return to the United States. 

"Management is something that I'm not interested in, but ownership – definitely," Beckham said Tuesday. 

The 37-year-old Beckham said that a clause in his initial contract with MLS enables him to buy in as an owner after he hangs up his cleats. 

"I think his experience, his presence, his name is going to do wonders for whichever club he ends up being a part of," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. 

Anschutz Entertainment Group – which runs the Galaxy, the Los Angeles Kings and the Staples Center, among other entities – is up for sale. 

"I heard that," Beckham said. "We'll see."

So, how would Arena feel potentially working for a former player? 

"I've been working for him for the past four years," Arena joked. "I'm happy I'm getting a break a little bit." 

Galaxy captain Landon Donovan took a similarly jovial tone to the question of if he could work for Beckham. 

"Sure, I could play for him," Donovan said. "If he pays me enough I will."

Whatever team he does buy, and initial reports suggested Los Angeles and New York aren't in play, Arena can't imagine Beckham too far from the field. 

"I'm sure he'll be very good," Arena said. "My guess is David's not going to be sitting behind a desk 12 hours a day in a management capacity."

Soccer: Beckham to quit L.A. Galaxy after MLS Cup final

(Reuters) - Former England captain David Beckham will leave L.A. Galaxy after next month's Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup final but intends to continue his playing career.

The 37-year-old midfielder said in a statement: "I've had an incredibly special time playing for the L.A. Galaxy, however, I wanted to experience one last challenge before the end of my playing career.

"I don't see this as the end of my relationship with the league (MLS) as my ambition is to be part of the ownership structure in the future."

While age has taken its toll on his on-field ability, Beckham, who is married to ex-Spice Girl turned fashion designer Victoria, remains one of the most marketable figures in the game.

His management on Friday denied he had plans to move toAustralia's A-League though his decision to leave the Galaxy will prompt speculation over his next destination, with a return to England sure to be another option floated.

Beckham has spent six seasons with the Galaxy and in January signed a new two-year contract after winning the MLS title with the club.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player will play his final game on December 1 in the MLS Cup final against Houston Dynamo at Galaxy's Home Depot Center.

Beckham earned 115 caps for England, won six league titles with Manchester United in the Premier League and then enjoyed league success with Real in Spain.

FANTASTIC RECEPTION

The London-born midfielder was the first 'Designated Player' in MLS - a title covering the 'Beckham Rule' which allowed clubs to sign certain players outside of the league's strict salary cap rules.

"In my time here I have seen the popularity of the game grow every year. I've been fortunate to win trophies, but more important to me has been the fantastic reception I've had from fans in L.A. and across the States," said Beckham.

"Soccer's potential has no limits in this wonderful country and I want to always be part of growing it."

Both MLS and the Galaxy credit Beckham, who has maintained his celebrity status in the United States, with boosting the profile of the league and one of its leading clubs.

"Seldom does an athlete redefine a sport and David not only took our franchise to another level but he took our sport to another level," said Tim Leiweke, president and CEO of Galaxy's owners AEG.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Beckham had achieved his goal of boosting the popularity of soccer in North America.

"There is no doubt that MLS is far more popular and important here and abroad than it was when he arrived.

"David has achieved great things on and off the field during his time with the Galaxy, and he will always be an important part of our history. We look forward to his continued involvement with the LA Galaxy and the League."

Beckham had an option in his initial deal with the league that allowed him to take a future ownership role in a franchise.

The Football Federation of Australia (FFA) said last week they had been contacted by Beckham's representatives about a move to the A-league.

Beckham's management company immediately responded with a statement saying he had no plans to play in Australia. (Reporting by Simon Evans, editing by Nick Mulvenney/Peter Rutherford)

FIFA shows it's still leery of instant replay

International soccer chiefs fear they could be subjected to legal action from disgruntled players or teams after finally bringing the game into the 21st century by implementing technology aimed at cutting out unfair goal decisions.

Goal-line technology is aimed at preventing an obvious mistake, like this Ukrainian goal that wasn't.While other sports such as tennis and football have for years embraced an instant replay system, soccer has been slow to catch on, leading to a swathe of negative publicity following embarrassing mistakes from referees in big games.

Yet even though soccer's governing body FIFA has given the green light to two systems that will ascertain whether or not the ball has crossed the line and therefore be awarded as a goal, it immediately acted to protect itself from any financial backlash.

FIFA demanded that GoalRef and HawkEye, the two systems that it granted approval for use, each obtain an insurance policy that indemnifies FIFA against any legal challenge for recompense in the event that the technology gives incorrect information.

FIFA head Sepp Blatter was told by his advisors that while no club or national team could ever mount a legal appeal to even an awful refereeing decision because of human error, any failure in technology that produced an erroneous result could lead to a lawsuit.

That led to a clause in the FIFA regulations insisting on a policy that "should provide sufficient insurance coverage for claims being raised by third parties due to the licensee's activities or omissions."

Goal-line technology, which was approved by FIFA in July, will make its debut in top level competition at the Club World Cup in December, is likely to be brought into the English Premier League next season and is certain to be used at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Still, the insistence on such an insurance policy, that will also provide cover if any of the equipment damages a player or anyone else, shows the caution FIFA has shown when it comes to this matter.

[Related: Lionel Messi: A model who would rather be playing football]

Already stringent controls have been imposed on the two companies allowed to provide the service, which admittedly has ensured products of outstanding quality. GoalRef uses a microchip placed inside the ball to track its whereabouts in relation to the goal line, whereas Hawkeye, used in tennis and cricket and originally developed for military purposes, uses an advanced series of ultra high-tech cameras. Both systems transmit a signal to a special watch worn by the referee to inform him in just a few seconds whether a goal should be given or not.

Speed of decision was one critical factor as FIFA wanted to avoid any kind of delay to the pace of the game. Yet while that was a worthy aim, it also shows FIFA's general initial resistance and many feel this move does not go far enough.

The last World Cup featured a moment of embarrassment when England's Frank Lampard had a goal disallowed even though it had clearly traveled some two feet over the line in a second-round defeat toGermany. This summer, England was the beneficiary of a blown call during the European championships when a valid Ukraine goal was not counted.

Still, there are other scenarios that will not be covered by the technology, such as Carlos Tevez's clearly offside goal during Argentina's victory over Mexico in the 2010 World Cup, a situation somehow missed by the officials. Similarly, penalty decisions for fouls or handballs, as well as red and yellow cards, are not able to be reviewed.

Hawkeye claims its product has been soccer ready for 10 years, but the sport has repeatedly looked the other way. The most recent idea aimed at resisting technology was to place an extra referee behind each goal, yet that did not eradicate mistakes.

It was originally thought only one product would be chosen, but both GoalRef and Hawkeye were so effective and accurate during rigorous testing that they could not be separated.

Atletico wins 1-0 at Granada to stay 2nd in Spain

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) -- Arda Turan scored on a volley in the 61st minute, giving Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win at Granada that kept it three points behind first-place Barcelona in the Spanish league.

Atletico, which played a man short after Mario Suarez received his second yellow card in the 71st, is five points ahead of Real Madrid. The rivals meet in the Spanish capital derby in two weeks.

Levante rose to fourth place in the Spanish league, winning 2-0 at Deportivo La Coruna in an eventful match that saw each team finish a man short.

Obafemi Martins gave visiting Levante the lead in the 40th minute when he latched onto a long ball, dribbled past goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia and rolled in his fifth goal in eight games.

Levante's Pedro Lopez was ejected for his second yellow card when he handled the ball in the penalty area. But Ivan ''Riki'' Sanchez sent his penalty kick over the crossbar in the 55th minute, and Aranzubia was given a red card for his foul of Martins in the 69th.

Having made all three substitutions, Deportivo used midfielder Alejandro Bergantinos as goalkeeper, and Jose Barkero scored on a long shot in the in the 82nd.

Mallorca broke a six-game losing streak by drawing 1-1 at Celta Vigo.

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LONDON (AP) - Struggling Sunderland capitalized on Brede Hangeland's 30th-minute ejection for a reckless tackle to beat Fulham 3-1, earning only its second Premier League win of the season.

Steven Fletcher, Carlos Cuellar and Stephane Sessegnon scored in the second half for the visitors.

Substitute Mladen Petric had equalized in the 62nd minute for the hosts. Fulham also lost winger Alex Kacaniklic and playmaker Bryan Ruiz to injuries.

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ROME (AP) - Fiorentina thrust itself into the race for the Champions League places with a 4-1 win over Atalanta, while second-place Inter Milan needed a late own goal to tie 2-2 with visiting Cagliari in the Italian league.

Alberto Aquilani scored twice and set up another goal, and Gonzalo Rodriguez and Luca Toni also found the net as Fiorentina won its fifth straight match and extended its unbeaten streak yo seven.

In Milan, Rodrigo Palacio put Inter ahead after 10 minutes but Marco Sau scored twice to push Cagliari in front before defender Davide Astori redirected a cross from Inter midfielder Ricardo Alvarez into his own net in the 82nd.

In added time, Inter argued for a penalty on defender Andrea Ranocchia and coach Andrea Stramaccioni was ejected for arguing.

Inter is four points behind league leader Juventus, which was held to a 0-0 draw by Lazio on Saturday. Fiorentina is tied with Napoli one point further back.

The top two finishers in Serie A qualify directly for the Champions League, while the third-place finisher enters the final round of playoffs.

Sampdoria beat last-place Genoa 3-1 on goals by Andrea Poli and Mauro Icari around Cesare Bovo's own goal to end a seven-game losing streak.

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PARIS (AP) - Lyon beat Reims 3-0 to move into first place in the French league, taking advantage of Paris Saint-Germain's latest home defeat and Marseille's 1-0 loss at Bordeaux.

An own goal from Reims' Anthony Weber gave Lyon the lead in the 45th minute, and Bafetimbi Gomis and Lisandro Lopez scored in the second half. Lyon is two points ahead of PSG, which lost 2-1 to Rennes on Saturday.

Yoan Gouffran scored in the 52nd minute for Bordeaux, which is one point behind Lyon in second. Marseille, which trails third-place PSG on goal difference, has not won at Bordeaux since 1977.

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BERLIN (AP) - Kevin de Bruyne scored in the 82nd minute to lead Werder Bremen over visiting Fortuna Duesseldorf 2-1 in the Bundesliga, the hosts' first game since manager Klaus Allofs quit after 13 years to join Wolfsburg.

Bremen defender Assani Lukimya had been ejected for a second yellow card five minutes before the tiebreaking goal. Nils Petersen's 51st-minute equalizer.

Jens Langeneke put Duesseldorf ahead in the 10th minute after Sokratis Papastathopoulos brought down Robbie Kruse at the end of a counterattack.

Wolfsburg won 3-1 at Hoffenheim on goals by Makoto Hasebe, Bas Dost and Naldo.

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VIENNA, Austria (AP) - American forward Terrence Boyd scored Rapid Vienna's final goal in the 38th minute of a 3-0 win at Mattersburg in the Austrian league on Saturday.

Boyd has 10 goals this season, including seven in the league.

Wenger rules out January exit for Walcott despite Arsenal contract dispute

Arsene Wenger has insisted that Theo Walcott will remain atArsenal until the end of the season, even if a new contract is not agreed before the start of the January transfer window.

Walcott’s current deal is set to expire in July 2013, but talks over an extension have reportedly stalled as the England international looks for assurances that he will feature in a more central role in the future.

Following the arrivals of Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud in the summer, Walcott has seen such opportunities limited, but Wenger ruled out an exit for Walcott during the upcoming transfer window.

When asked if the player could leave in January if a contract extension is not agreed, Wenger told reporters: "No. Will he stay until the end of the season? Yes.

"If I listened to the media every day it gets more expensive. We continue in a positive way. We have until the end of December to sort it out.

"He can play both positions. He can play up front, and he can play up front with Giroud as well. He has found a good mixture on the wing. It makes him difficult to stop. He finished as a center forward and he scored.

"With the midfield we have Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla and Mikel Arteta, in any position they will find you if you move well."

Walcott has impressed up front in recent performances, opening the scoring in the 2-2 draw with Schalke on Nov. 6 and netting against rivals Tottenham on Saturday, and voiced his opinion that he had proven himself in the role following the 5-2 victory.

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El Shaarawy targeting Balotelli partnership

Stephan El Shaarawy is hoping to shine alongside Mario Balotelli, asItaly prepares to take on France on Wednesday.

The AC Milan forward is currently the joint leading goalscorer in Serie A, with eight goals, and is aiming to replicate his domestic form at international level.

"I am at the complete disposal of the coach [Cesare Prandelli]," El Shaaraway told reporters. "At Milan I have learned how to alternate attacking and defensive phases. I hope to do well with Balotelli. Prandelli has given me all of his instructions and now I have to prove my quality."

France boss Didier Deschamps has also spoken ahead of the clash and remains uncertain what approach the Azzurri will adopt, while stressing the importance of getting a result. 

"When you take on a team like Italy, who are one of the best in the world, there are always special expectations and it requires a particular level of concentration," he explained. "I don't know exactly what to expect from Italy. In terms of systems they can adapt with a three-man defence or a 4-3-3. I'm certain Cesare Prandelli will choose a very attacking side. It is a friendly, but the result is always important." 

Messi passes Pele's goals in 1 year as Barca wins

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) -- Lionel Messi surpassed Pele's milestone of goals in a calendar year, scoring for the 75th and 76th time in 2012 to lead Barcelona to a 4-2 victory at Mallorca in the Spanish league Sunday. Messi is within nine goals of Gerd Mueller's career record.

Xavi Hernandez unlocked Mallorca's defense with a free kick in the 28th minute before Messi struck in the 44th. Cristian Tello added a third goal a minute later at Iberostar stadium.

After Mallorca netted twice early in the second half to breathe life into the match, Messi stepped up to score again the 70th to ensure victory, helping Barcelona rebound from its loss at Celtic in the Champions League.

''Leo's records are spectacular,'' Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova said. ''It's spectacular when you think that he scores so many goals. Some few players reach these numbers in seven or eight seasons, he does it in one. And most of his goals are great goals.''

This is the latest scoring feat for the Argentine forward. He scored 73 goals in the 2011-12 season for Barcelona, breaking the European club record of 67 goals set by Mueller in 1972-73. He also set a Spanish league record of 50 goals last season and broke Cesar Rodriguez's 57-year milestone of 232 goals to become Barcelona's career scoring leader.

Barcelona's 10th win in 11 rounds extended its club-record start and opened a provisional 11-point gap over third-place Madrid, which beat Levante 2-0 on goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata. Second-place Atletico Madrid is three points behind the leaders after easing past visiting Getafe 2-0.

Messi increased his league-leading tally to 15 goals. He has 20 in all competitions this season.

Pele scored 75 goals for Brazil and Santos in 1958. Mueller had 85 in 1972 for West Germany and Bayern Munich.

Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao beat visiting Sevilla 2-0 for its first back-to-back wins of the season, while 10-man Valencia stayed winless away this season after drawing 1-1 at Valladolid.

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LONDON (AP) - John Terry's return from a racism ban ended prematurely Sunday when the Chelsea captain was carried off the field with a leg injury after scoring in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool in the Premier League.

The defender, who had missed the last four domestic matches for racially abusing an opponent, headed in his 50th Chelsea goal fromJuan Mata's corner kick in the 20th minute. Fifteen minutes later, Terry fell awkwardly on his right knee after a collision with Liverpool striker Luis Suarez.

''He's in pain now. He'll go to hospital tomorrow for a scan,'' Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo said. ''We hope it's not a serious injury, but we'll see.''

Without Terry, Suarez was left unmarked in the penalty area to head in a tying goal in the 73rd minute.

The draw leaves Chelsea in third, three points behind leader Manchester United and a point behind champion Manchester City, which came from behind to beat Tottenham 2-1.

City's unbeaten league start looked under threat when Steven Caulker headed Tottenham in front, but goals from Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko clinched a 2-1 win.

Kevin Nolan scored against former club Newcastle to give West Ham a 1-0 victory.

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MILAN (AP) - Lazio rallied past Roma 3-2 in a rain-drenched Serie A game in Rome in which both teams were reduced to 10 men.

Erik Lamela gave Roma a lead in the ninth minute, but Antonio Candreva tied it, the ball slipping through the hands of goalkeeper Mauro Goicoechea.

Miroslav Klose put Lazio in front before Roma's Daniele De Rossi was sent off in first-half stoppage time for punching Stefano Mauri in the face.

Mauri made it 3-1 for Lazio before he was sent off. Substitute Miralem Pjanic pulled a goal back for Roma.

AC Milan missed a penalty kick in losing 3-1 against Fiorentina, and Napoli came from behind to beat Genoa 4-2.

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BERLIN (AP) - Hannover recovered from a 2-0 deficit by s coring four goals in 16 minutes to win 4-2 at Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. Borussia Moenchengladbach also came from behind to overcome nine-man Greuther Fuerth by the same score.

Christian Gentner's goal and Vedad Ibisevic's penalty kick seemed to put Stuttgart in control at the break.

But Artur Sobiech scored in the 57th, Jan Schlaudraff tied it with a penalty kick eight minutes later and two goals from Mohammed Abdellaoue sealed an unlikely win for Hannover.

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PARIS (AP) - Paris Saint-Germain remained on top in the French league with a 1-1 draw at defending champion Montpellier after playing most of the match with 10 men following center half Mamadou Sakho's early dismissal.

Sakho was shown a straight red card in the ninth minute for yanking center forward Gaetan Charbonnier's shirt when he was clean through on goal. Despite the early setback, PSG scored in the 37th thanks to a brilliant chip from Brazilian left back Maxwell.

The draw made no difference to the top three places because Marseille drew 2-2 against Nice, twice throwing away the lead, and Lyon was also pegged back as it drew 1-1 at struggling Sochaux.

PSG and Marseille both have 23 points, but PSG has a better goal difference - although Marseille has a game in hand - and Lyon is one point behind them. Montpellier is 14th.

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BRUSSELS (AP) - American midfielder Sacha Kljestan scored Anderlecht's fourth goal in a 6-1 rout of Club Brugge.

The 54th-minute goal was his first in the league this season and second overall.

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AMSTERDAM (AP) - PSV Eindhoven came from a goal down to beat Heerenveen 5-1 and take the lead in the Dutch league from FC Twente in style.

PSV was given the chance to go to the top when Twente drew 0-0 at third-place Vitesse Arnhem.

Brad Guzan finally making his mark at Aston Villa

It's the 87th minute and Aston Villa is battling against a Sunderland side that is gaining momentum thanks to 41,000 boisterous supporters at the Stadium of Light. 

The Black Cats' star forward, Steven Fletcher, drives into the penalty box and launches a strike that is quickly blocked by Brad Guzan. Sunderland's Lee Cattermole follows up on the rebound and Guzan reacts. The two saves effectively end the home team's promising drive and gives Villa its second win of the year. 

For some goalkeepers, this moment could drive up the nerves and blood pressure. Mistakes could have been made. But not for Guzan. He has been waiting for this chance for four years. 

"There weren't any nerves or anything. This is what you train for," Guzan tells Goal.com in a phone interview. "As a goalkeeper, you may not be called upon until the 86th or 87th minute and that just happened to be the case."

"It felt good," he adds. 

After years of uncertainty, Guzan is finally having an opportunity to feature for Aston Villa. Originally signed to be Brad Friedel's understudy in 2008, Guzan only played in one league match as a result of the club's constant turnover at the managerial position and the arrival of Shay Given. Guzan was loaned away to lower-division sides and with his contract expiring last summer, it was thought that the 28-year-old would leave the club. 

Then he had a chance to speak with new manager Paul Lambert.

Lambert's Influence

Upon Lambert's arrival at Aston Villa, the manager reached out to Guzan. The American keeper was immediately impressed by the former Norwich boss. 

"When he came, he created an excitement and buzz about Aston Villa Football Club that wasn't there last year," Guzan explains. 

It was that positive impetus that led Guzan to re-sign with the club even though Lambert never gave him any guarantee that he would feature any more than he had under previous managers. It was more of a gut decision for the Illinois-native. 

"Anytime where a new manager comes in, you get a vibe," Guzan says. "I definitely liked what I was hearing about where the manager wanted to take the club and, for me, it was something that I wanted to be a part of." 

It's a world apart from Villa's previous manager Alex McCleish. Guzan never directly criticizes McCleish but it appears the former Chivas USA star would have left the club if changes weren't made. When McCleish came to the club, he quickly recruited top Republic of Ireland international Shay Given, a move that Guzan acknowledged would mean he'd have to wait another year for playing time. 

"I'm not sure how much they paid for Shay, but when you bring in someone like him with his caliber and his experience, everything that he brings to the table, he was obviously Alex McLeish's guy," Guzan says. 

"He was his goalkeeper."

Guzan admits that there were times when he contemplated his next move, though rumors of a return to MLS were premature. 

"Yeah, it was definitely frustrating when I wasn't playing in league games. I was thinking that maybe this wasn't going to be the right fit," he states. "Maybe it was time to move on." 

He adds: "But at the same time I was happy to come back to Aston Villa and still be in Europe. Nothing against MLS but I still wanted to test myself out in Europe." 

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Things are much different under Lambert. Guzan reveals that the manager names the starters an hour prior to each match, and it just so happens that he's been the starter in goal since the club's 1-1 draw at Newcastle on Sept. 2. 

Villa hasn't gotten off to a strong start as the Premier League club sits just outside of the relegation zone in 17th place, but Guzan says a major difference between Lambert and his predecessor is a clear message. 

"I think he is fully committed to getting the best of everyone. Being able to talk to players and explain what he wants as a manager. Things like that make a big difference," Guzan says. "I've had managers in the past who would just throw names up on the board and be like, 'Alright, go out there and have at it.'

"There's an excitement about coming and going to train every day. It's a place where you want to be around as opposed to just showing up a minute before you have to and being the first one out of the door."

Villa's Future

Part of Villa's early season struggles could be attributed to the American-owned team's decision to stick with a relatively young side. At 28, Guzan was the elder statesman in Villa's win over Sunderland as the club started six players under 25. Yet, Guzan is reluctant to call Villa a rebuilding side. 

"Obviously, we do have some younger players on the team but, as it progresses, their quality is showing," he counters. "They are definitely big-time players and that's what you need from a Premiership team. You need guys to step up and do a job. That also goes for the players that he's brought in." 

In fact, Guzan compares Lambert's early days to the beginning of Martin O'Neill's successful era with the Birmingham-based club. He explains that O'Neill was given a chance to put the pieces into place and develop talents like James Milner and Ashley Young, who now feature for Manchester City and Manchester United, respectively. Now, the prospects on the rise are Barry Bannan, Ciaran Clark and Christian Benteke.

Guzan expects that Villa's current young starlets will eventually get to a level where they can help contend for the Premier League's European spots again. 

"I wouldn't put a time frame on it but hopefully if we can start picking up results here and there, I don't see why we can't start now," he says. "We know it's going to be a difficult task but when you put the pieces in place, you give yourself half a chance to get results.

"For us, it's a matter of taking each game as it comes. If we start putting results together, you can make a run up the table. There's a lot of football to be played."

Lessons Learned

Guzan is thankful for his experience at Aston Villa despite the times when it appeared that the club neglected his progress. He insists that the experience has made him progress and become a much better player. In MLS, he was already a star. Going to Villa allowed him to sit back and develop areas of his game that needed to improve. 

"For me, when I first came into MLS, I was kind of thrown into the fire and played right away," he says. "Then when I came to England, I took a few steps back. But for me, now I'm back on track and playing consistent football day in and day out."

In fact, he praises both Friedel and Given for improving his game. 

"Going against Brad Friedel and then Shay Given day in and day out made me a better goalkeeper," Guzan says. "Yeah, I've been through some tough times but I think I've come out on the better end for it. "

If Guzan continues to progress, there's no reason why he can't share a similar path as both mentors.