The 20-year-old U.S. worldwide spoke to ASN’s Brian Sciaretta about making his first-team debut with Chelsea, studying from soccer icons like John Terry, and his need to play soccer on the highest stage.
BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
April 07, 2016
1:15 PM
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MATT MIAZGA is aware of the state of affairs.
The 20-year-old central defender from Clifton, N.J., may be very a lot conscious that a few of the largest names in American soccer have left Europe and returned to Main League Soccer lately, downshifting to play soccer nearer to house.
Miazga is shifting in a special course.
“I want to show that American players can come here to the Prem, or to Europe, and test themselves against some of the best players in the world,” Miazga instructed American Soccer Now from London. “I feel that there is a lot of talent in MLS—American players who can come over here and get out of their comfort zone, see how good they can become, and challenge themselves to [reach] their abilities.”
The previous New York Purple Bull has loved fairly a 12 months: He was among the best defenders on the 2015 U-20 World Cup. He then helped the Purple Bulls win the Supporters Defend. He closed out the 12 months by incomes his first cap with the U.S. males’s nationwide staff. After which he secured a switch to Chelsea FC, the place he made his debut for the membership final weekend in a 4-0 rout over Aston Villa, changing into the primary American to play for the membership within the Premier League period.
“I grew up in the system over there in American with the Red Bulls—in their homegrown system,” Miazga mentioned. “Rising up in America…undoubtedly helped me in the way in which my profession has come alongside—taking part in a whole lot of these nationwide staff video games in numerous nations and in addition taking part in with the primary staff at such a younger age in MLS, taking part in with the primary staff since I used to be 18-years-old.
“I do know what I can do on the pitch so I simply attempt to be the perfect I will be and proceed to develop myself to achieve my targets.”
Miazga didn’t look misplaced in opposition to Aston Villa, an opponent mired in final place and heading towards sure relegation. Chelsea was resting quite a few gamers who had been away on worldwide responsibility. It was a fantastic state of affairs for a participant incomes his first minutes in arguably the perfect league on the earth.
“To be honest this wasn’t the toughest game,” Chelsea coach Guus Hiddink mentioned after Saturday’s win, referencing his younger American defender. “You must take into account additionally when an actual good warfare is happening the way you address that, but it surely’s a great first step up for him.
“He’s coming from a league that is a bit naive compared to the Premier League, and he has to get used to a little more freedom given to the attackers by the referees, which I like. He has to cope with a little bit of a shuffle, of a push that in other leagues the referee would give free kicks for. That’s the naivety he has to leave as soon as possible, but I didn’t see much of that [against Aston Villa].”
Whereas Hiddink’s reward of Miazga was a bit subdued, U.S. nationwide staff head coach Jurgen Klinsmann didn’t cover his enthusiasm.
“Looking at the weekend in the Premier League, the highlight for us was Matt Miazga starting for Chelsea at Aston Villa,” Klinsmann mentioned. “That is massive for Matt. It’s an enormous milestone to play his first sport within the Premier League, to be in such a prestigious membership as Chelsea with super gamers round him and an excellent coach that guides him by the method. That’s thrilling for us as a result of he got here again from the Olympic staff qualifier playoffs with Colombia not succeeding in attending to Rio, however comes again and performs for Chelsea within the beginning lineup.
“That was large. I despatched him a textual content and mentioned, ‘Congratulations.’”
Miazga arrived at Chelsea in January, leaving the US nationwide staff’s annual January camp to finalize the deal. Since then he has made the bench often for the primary staff within the Premier League and within the Europa league whereas additionally often that includes for the membership’s U-21 squad.
Miazga mentioned that the transition has been comparatively “easy” in that the gamers have been extraordinarily welcoming to him. He knew that when taking part in with a large membership like Chelsea, “eyes are on you at all times. So you just have to do what you have to do which is to play football and focus yourself in that aspect.”
Which is what he has finished to this point. He has embraced the tradition at Chelsea, which revolves round a few of the finest and most costly gamers on the earth. Particularly he has struck up a pleasant working relationship with fellow central defender John Terry, broadly thought to be among the best central defenders of his technology.
“John has been great,” Miazga mentioned. “You see the way in which he conducts himself on and off the pitch. The way in which he performs on the pitch as properly—the little issues he does which you be taught from and attempt to set up into your sport as properly. That’s been good. I’ve been getting together with the opposite youthful gamers as properly, like Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Bertrand Traore. It’s an excellent ambiance on the staff.
The expertise stage, Miazga famous, is certainly a step up from that of MLS.
“The players are better but I was looking forward to it and expecting it,” he added. “I feel good and I feel like I am getting better as a player.”
Hiddink, the membership’s interim head coach, can also be offering welcome steerage however his time at Chelsea is drawing to a detailed. Subsequent season, Italian nationwide staff coach Antonio Conte will take over.
“Coach Hiddink has been a world class supervisor for a few years now with massive golf equipment and also you simply see ways he instills within the staff. You be taught sure issues concerning the sport you may have by no means actually realized and skilled but by him. Little issues technical-wise too. You be taught taking part in the ball one contact or while you want two touches or when you have to clear it—the choice making as properly you be taught taking part in at a better stage. The coaches have been nice with that.
“In training they have little talks with you on what you need to improve and what you’re doing well—which is important also. They’re very straightforward with what they expect from you as a player.”
Regardless of the joy surrounding his debut, Miazga stays in an unsure state of affairs—which is an element and parcel of taking part in for a powerhouse franchise. He might proceed to earn taking part in time or he might return to the bench for the rest of the 12 months. It is unclear the place he’ll match into Conte’s plans or whether or not or not he’ll be part of the 30-plus gamers Chelsea presently has out on mortgage.
On the U.S. nationwide staff entrance, Klinsmann mentioned he shall be trying to give some youthful gamers an opportunity to shine at this summer season’s Copa American Centenario: “With the fact that our Olympic team didn’t qualify for Rio de Janeiro, the situation comes up: How many of those younger players are ready to feed into the senior level toward Copa America? That’s a legitimate discussion to have, because of guys like Matt Miazga breaking in at Chelsea.”
For now, Miazga isn’t anxious concerning the U.S. nationwide staff or the potential of a mortgage subsequent season—and for good purpose. He’s a Chelsea first-team participant—one of the vital excessive profile groups on the earth. If he performs properly there, all the things else will deal with itself.
“I was obviously very happy to make my debut and be part of the win and get the three points—which is all that mattered,” Miazga mentioned. “I look forward to building on it and continuing to work hard in training and developing myself as a player.”
