"Compete fiercely without poisoning team chemistry Brad Guzan explained how he and Tim Howard maintained both a fierce internal rivalry and a genuine off-field friendship throughout their careers. The key insight: "it's never the other player's fault — they're not trying to sabotage you," and healthy competition means both players push each other higher. "He was making me better, I was making him better." Framing a workplace rival as a training partner rather than an enemy converts competitive tension into mutual improvement and avoids the corrosive resentment that destroys teams. Source: Brad Guzan, Men in Blazers Live, US vs Belgium Pre-World Cup Show"