Matt Miazga earned his second consecutive start for Chelsea in the English Premier League on Saturday, but the match was one to forgot for the American defender.
The 20-year-old started at centerback against Swansea City, and performed well enough for close to 25 minutes next to Branislav Ivanovic on the Chelsea back line. However, he failed to head a cross out to safety in the 25th minute, and the ball fell directly into the path of Gylfi Sigurdsson, who scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 result.
“We went 1-0 down with some sloppy defensive work and on top of that (Miazga) had a yellow card,” Blues head coach Guus Hiddink said after the game, “and I didn’t want to take the risk of him getting a second yellow. That was the main reason to make the substitution.”
Miazga earned that yellow card after grabbing a hold of Jefferson Montero, who was attempting to break down the left wing in the 40th minute.
The U.S. Men’s National Team defender helped Chelsea earn a 4-0 shutout victory in his EPL debut against Aston Villa on April 2.
Here is Miazga’s header that led to Sigurdsson’s goal on Saturday:
https://streamable.com/6f2p
What do you think of Miazga’s performance? Think he will play more minutes for Chelsea this season?
Share your thoughts below.
I think the best question to ask is what happens to the ball if Miazga does not jump or if he fails to make contact. He seemed to be stretching for a ball that he couldn’t quite hit right, but that ball looks pretty dangerous if he lets it go also. Sometimes you can’t win either way and have to hope for the best. If Sigurdsson shanked the shot this wouldn’t be a post.
Head to the side not to the middle of the penalty box!
How dare a young player make mistakes, especially for a big club. You don’t get better by making mistakes! Being perfect is the best way to learn. (Sorry, I’m done.)
It’s not that being perfect “is the best way to learn.” Or even that a young player can’t makes mistakes. Of course man, that’s all common sense. But when you are looking at it from a perspective of job stability on a team like Chelsea, mistakes are not something a young American defender is afforded.
Yeah, Deandre Yedlin has made numerous mistakes at Sunderland this season and even though he’s taken criticism he hasn’t taken nearly as much as Miazga from this game. The club matters.
Ugh. A young defender (and particularly, an American defender) trying to prove himself on an “elite” team like Chelsea cannot make mistakes like that. He was always going to have to play near-perfect in his debut season with Chelsea in order to solidify a spot on the team.
Learning experience. I agree that that play can’t be put all on Miazga – anytime a winger beats two defenders to put in service you’re asking for trouble, and the defenders in the box are waaay too compact, which is NOT on Miazga – his positioning is fine, and if it’s on anyone to organize everyone else, it’s Ivanovic and Courtois.
That said, I do think Matt has a tendency to too easily commit those cynical yellow card fouls when an attacker is going by him. He’s got to learn to position himself a little better, and he should be more confident in his excellent tackling. He has to learn not to pick up yellows so cheaply. They add up, and sometimes turn into reds.
“if it’s on anyone to organize everyone else, it’s Ivanovic and Courtois.”
this was key today against a competent team (and it was begovic in goal). ivanovic needs an organizer like terry or–to a much lesser extent–cahill alongside him; he’s not the guy. compound that with a different keeper in goal, and you’ve got accidents waiting to happen.
and the yellow today wasn’t a bad one, really; there are few defenders that montero hasn’t gotten booked at some point. it was a smart play by miazga–had he erred one way or the other, it could’ve been a goal or a red card–even if it led to him having to be withdrawn early.
The entire Chelsea defense was atrocious in the first half, not just Miazga.
I look at this a little differently. I look at what led up to the goal. The biggest blunder that was committed was the fullback and midfielder that were both beaten to let the cross begin. Miazga didn’t have a bad header because he had a good connection. He was simply trying to get his head on the ball and it is unfortunate what happened, but ultimately if I’m the coach I am most disappointed that 1 guy beat 2 of mine to get the cross off. This is not to say that Miazga doesn’t have plenty to learn and grow, but by blaming him when something much more obvious occurred is to ignore the play of the game.
Not sure I agree? The dude flailed a foot at the ball and got a fortunate cross into the box. Chelsea had four to defend three and no one went to the ball?
The play that must have caused concern prior to the header was when Miazega was out wide right one vs one and chipped the ball right to the Swansea midfielder and the GK stood on his head for a great save.
Miscues added up and Chelsea made the change!
for the goal, i think he did the best he could: it was a dangerous ball, it ended up in between him and ivanovic, and he was just trying to divert it. ideally, ivanovic would’ve told miazga to leave it for him, but i didn’t see any indication that he did so, and miazga can’t just assume that there isn’t an attacker in between him and ivanovic.
i think the previous play where miazga gave the ball away in a dangerous spot was much worse than the goal. he’s also been forcing passes to the mids and putting them in bad spots–this game and the previous one–but i think he just needs to get used to the speed of the game over there.
I would agree with you. But Chelsea’s record right now says play youth. For me today was a good learning experience, and we need to remember this is only his 2nd club game since November. If he gets the start next week and looks stronger on the ball this game will be forgotten.
I would also say it is not a bad thing to be loaned out from a team like Chelsea, as long as he is playing week in and week out.
Chelsea loan with the intent of showcasing you and selling you at a higher profit. (i.e. wherever they loan him – if they do – its with the intent of him playing every week)
Or you go and dominate and maybe Chelsea decides to keep you and spend that money elsewhere. Either way I see it as a plus plus for Miazga. He gets the end of the year with a lot of playing time with Chelsea and gain loads of EPL experience, which will lead to better teams wanting to take him as a loan, or outright purchasing him now. I agree with SZ, while that header was a perfect pass he was far from the only problem or biggest issue on that goal.
Or you go and dominate and maybe Chelsea decides to keep you and spend that money elsewhere.
Hoping so.
At a club like Chelsea you can not make mistakes like that. He will be loaned out in the off season most likely. Chelsea does not develop youth, they spend $50 million and just buy a better player.