The lowdown on Chelsea signing Matt Miazga
Saturday, January 30, 2016
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Tall, composed and good on the ball, new Chelsea centre-back Matt Miazga has the attributes to succeed in England – Major League Soccer watcher Wayne Harrison profiles the 20-year-old.
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As New York City's David Villa and Toronto forward Sebastian Giovinco – two of the most feared strikers in Major League Soccer (MLS) – will attest, new Chelsea centre-back Matt Miazga is a domineering presence.
The 2015 MLS season was a breakthrough one for the 1.9m-tall defender, who has opted to leave local club New York Red Bulls now rather than see out the final year of his contract.
Born in Clifton, New Jersey, Miazga has enjoyed a rapid rise. He turned 20 midway through the last campaign, one in which he became a mainstay for the Red Bulls, helping them win the Supporters' Shield (awarded to the team with the best regular-season record) and making his senior debut for the United States.
Eligible for Poland through his parents, he ended speculation about his international allegiance with a substitute appearance in the US's November FIFA World Cup qualifier against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Miazga earned plenty of plaudits in 2015, many of them for the way he snuffed out the threat of Villa and Giovinco in respective 3-1 and 3-0 victories last summer. His headed goal, his sole strike in 38 MLS appearances, and accompanying baseball-themed celebration in that triumph over NYCFC at Yankee Stadium will live long in the memory of Red Bulls fans.
While coveted college prospect Jordan Morris, another young US international, turned down a deal with Werder Bremen earlier this month in order to start his professional career with Seattle Sounders, Miazga has decided Europe is for him. He has all the attributes to be a success in the cut and thrust of the Premier League.
Imposing, composed and comfortable on the ball, the academy product was an integral component of a Red Bulls side that likes to play out from the back, through midfield, and press high when they lose possession. If there is one area of concern it is on the disciplinary front, Miazga having been sent off three times since making his MLS bow in September 2013.
In a press conference on Friday, Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink said Miazga will be a squad member "for the rest of the season" rather than going out on loan, as many of the Blues' youngsters do, so he can assess his qualities. "He's a young player, a promising player – let's see if he can get himself to the high demands of this club and the Premier League," explained the Dutchman.
Though that could change next term, with Miazga and Kurt Zouma, 21, in their ranks, and Andreas Christensen getting regular minutes at Mönchengladbach, Chelsea have young, athletic stoppers who could form the basis of their back four for years to come.