What Does This Mean For Chelsea, NY Red Bulls, and US National Side
Interim Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink was expected to upgrade his squad this January by bringing in some fresh pair of legs as part of the rescue mission for Chelsea this season and successfully struck a deal with star striker Alex Pato, who has already landed in London.
The Dutch Manager again hit the headlines with his recent activity in the transfer market by landing young American defender, Matt Miazga for 3.5 million pounds.
The 20-years-old former New York Red Bulls defender has already reached London to complete paperwork and other formalities. The young American might not have financially hurt Chelsea Owner, Roman Abramovich, but he has a great responsibility to shoulder in Chelsea’s dangling defence.
Probably he will not be part of playing XI right away despite training with the squad, but Hiddink has already hinted that the defender might be sent on a loan spell at the end of the season.
Chelsea Ready To Reshuffle Their Playing XI?
Age seems to be taking its toll from trusted Chelsea defenders John Terry and Gary Cahill as both of them have recently shown signs of tardiness this season that has certainly hurt their title defence. The two English professionals crossed the age of 30, and the Blues are looking for some young legs to replace them.
Kurt Zouma has shown potential to become a likely long-term prospect in the center, and Miazga will have a tough time to prove that he is capable enough to side with the Frenchman and form a strong partnership in the middle as Chelsea are in the process of recovering from a stuttering campaign.
The reigning Premier League Champions have not lost a game under the interim manager, therefore experimenting with the winning combination (or not losing) is certainly not on cards. However, the Blues are still alive in the FA Cup after their recent thrashing of MK Dons and can think of putting the lanky defender to test. It might be a good opportunity for both parties to get a clearer picture of how things will evolve in future.
Some Future Prospects
Chelsea fans have already witnessed the case of Kevin De Bruyne, who left Stamford Bridge for Wolfsburg as he failed to get enough playing time with the Premier League giants. Currently, the Belgian is doing wonders for Manchester City only because he got ample opportunity to showcase his talent. Miazga is still a budding footballer and requires more time to settle in the big League. However, if he can prove his worth, it is only a matter of time that other big name clubs will be pursuing him as good central defenders are in high demand all across Europe.
We are nearing the end of this season’s campaign, and it is highly unlikely that Miazga will get enough playing time to showcase his skills in the English top flight. For now, his only viable option is to train and learn as much as he can from the top notch Chelsea veterans and facilities.
What is Scenario For NY Red Bulls
Miazga played a vital role in Red Bulls’ campaign last season, helping them lift the League Cup trophy and reach the semifinal of Conference Cup. Nominated for the defender of the year award, Miazga eventually finished with fourth highest votes, while being the youngest of the lot. The Red Bulls need another star defender to perform at a similar level if they want to keep their hopes high this season. American Giants did not have a single goalscorer in top three and heavily relied on defenders to step up throughout the season. Without Miazga, title defence is going to be a tough task.
What’s In It For US National Team?
US national football team manager, Jurgen Klinsmann, appreciated Miazga’s move to West London further commenting that it could be a breakthrough opportunity for the young defender to impress with his skills on a bigger platform. Klinsmann has been the US head coach since 2011 and has won only a single trophy. Despite the limited availability of quality footballers during his four-year tenure with the team, his overall track record indicates high-quality deliverance with a win percentage of 55.13.
If Miazga can capitalise on this venture and throws in some solid performances at his new club, scouts would be doing a bit more hunting in the MLS. Unarguably, American national players need more exposure and experience in the big leagues to perform well at international level against top teams. So far, US has been unable to produce top quality footballers on a regular basis. Although we have witnessed sparkles of talent over the last decade in the form of Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey, a lack of top league players in the squad has haunted the US National Football Team.
