© Copyright khedmeh Wall
It hasn't been difficult to tell just how young the current U.S. national team is. With an average age of 22, and boasting several teenagers, the U.S. squad presently in camp ahead of Monday's friendly against Bolivia almost feels like a youth national team.
It also boasts some not-so-old veterans like 22-year-old Matt Miazga, .
Miazga is far from old, but his six years of experience as a profe sional half spent in MLS with the New York Red Bulls and half spent at Chelsea and on loan to Dutch side Vite se Arnhem gives him more experience than all but a handful players currently in U.S. camp. He has made the transition from awestruck rookie to San Francisco 49ers Jersey 19-year-old starter to $5 million transfer target, to regular starter and standout defender for a team in a respected European league.
"I remember when I was with Red Bulls, and at Chelsea as well, and my first few caps with the national team, when youre playing rondos, the boxes, five-v-twos, the youngest always starts in the middle," Miazga told Goal in an exclusive interview. "I dont have to start in the middle anymore. So then I realize, wow, time flew by, Im the old guy now."
He is poised to add national team starter to that run, and Adrian Colbert Jersey he's also ready to add leader to that list. At a time when the U.S. needs new players to follow to replace a long-standing generation of stars who are being phased out in the wake of the team's recent World Cup qualifying failure, Miazga is on a fast track to leading. He pointed to his growth into a leadership role at Vite se as one of his greatest improvements in what was arguably his best clubseason to date.
"I felt more confidence and more trust from the coach this year for sure," Miazga said. "But also, I just thought Im getting older.Im in a position where you need to be commanding, you need to communicate a lot, you need to be a leader.And I just kind of took it upon myself to be that leader,tobe more of a presence and help my team-mates out any way I can. Organize and just be prepared for everything."
The 6-foot-4-inch defender understands full well how important having strong leaders can be to a team. He has played alongside the likes of Thierry Henry and John Terry on the club level, and he hasn't forgotten what it was like being a youngster dropped into a national team.
"When I was first brought up, 2015, it was still that era of the older generation," Miazga said. "The Tim Howards and Clint Dempseys, and you always looked up to them. When I was growing up, in 2006 and 2010, these are the guys you were looking up to. I remember when I came into camp you really felt like youre here because these guys have been here such a long time.
"But now, Im getting older, everyones getting older, and I think theres a new wave, a new generation of players coming in," he continued. "Thats normal, it happens in every transition. Players are getting older, and young players are coming up, and thats how it goes."
Miazga heads towards the summer playing for two teams in states of flux. He is due to return to Chelsea this summer, at a time when , with Maurizio Sarri expected to replace him. Regardle s of who the manager is at Stamford Bridge, Miazga K'Waun Williams Jersey feels his two seasons starting for Vite se have helped him polish his game to a point where he can compete for a place with Chelsea's first team.
"Im confident in my abilities. Im for sure ready for the next level," said Miazga, who also wouldn't rule out a return to Vite se C. J. Beathard Jersey . "Im a confident player. I know what I can do, I know what I can bring. I just need to control what I can control. Every time I have a chance, every time I have an opportunity to play, try to make an impact, try to impre s and play well, and try to win football games."
Miazga's first season at Chelsea saw him struggle in the limited minutes he was given by then-manager Guus Hiddink. He was then sent on loan when Conte arrived as manager.
"I wouldnt say I wasnt ready, because at the time you think youre ready," Miazga said. "But then you realize as youre getting older and youre playing more football games and getting better and improving and analyzing and all that stuff, you realize how much you improve and how much more Ive added to my game, and how much more a sured I am of myself.
"Thats the way it should be. You dont want to stay stagnant. You want to keep improving," Miazga said. "Im not trying to be the best version of myself at 20 years old. I want to keep improving every year, and keep adding to my game, and being the best I can be year by year. It would be bad for me to say that at 20-21 years old Im peak product, Im not getting any better, because Im always going to strive for more, strive for consistency, for perfection."
hoping to build on what have been some strong performances in the starting lineup. They began with his first national team start, in last summer's Gold Cup. The U.S. Solomon Thomas Jersey needed a three-goal win to win its group, and Miazga headed home the goal that gave the Americans the 3-0 win they needed.
"It boosts your confidence. It was my third cap and I was scoring a goal on my home soil," he said. "These are things you dream of, you envision. I always envisioned myself being a national team player, playing big games for the national team, scoring goals. It was a good feeling. I was happy about it, but I was more happy about the performance, that we won and how I played. The goal was just a cherry on top. And we got a clean sheet. I like clean sheets more than me scoring my own goal.
"That was my first start for the national team. I felt like, okay, I got my first 90 minutes, scored a goal, got a clean sheet in a fairly important game. It was in the Gold Cup, in a competition, and it helped us get first place. I was like, okay, lets build on it now, lets continue to focus, and push myself along."
Miazga, along with long-time youth teammate and close friend Cameron Carter-Vickers, are seen as the future of the U.S. central defense, and the upcoming friendlies against Bolivia, Ireland and France should offer a good showcase of the tandem that helped the U.S. reach the quarterfinals of the 2015 Under-20 World Cup.
Miazga isn't shying away from the label, and the case can be made that he and Carter-Vickers are the present of the U.S. central defense at least while John Brooks remains out of the picture Jaquiski Tartt Jersey . Miazga isn't just aiming for a regular starting role, he wants to be a leader on the team, and a player who young newcomers turn to, in much the way he turned to mentors in the early stages of his career.
"The group here is pretty young. Im one of the more experienced players here. Thats personally good for me, to try and help these younger guys, because I always liked it when older guys take you under their wing and he
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