Matt Miazga has said that some differences of opinion with U.S. national team head coach Gregg Berhalter may have prevented him from being considered for the World Cup squad.
Miazga moved to FC Cincinnati in August, ending a six-year spell at Chelsea that saw him make just two appearances for the Blues while taking in several loans at clubs across Europe.
The 27-year-old has slotted in seamlessly in Cincinnati, starting every game for the club after making his debut in mid-August and helping the team reach the Eastern Conference semifinal.
But Miazga’s strong form in MLS hasn’t seen him return to the USMNT picture.
Miazga has been capped 22 times by the USMNT, but his most recent appearance came in June 2021. Though the U.S. has a host of issues at center back, it doesn’t appear that Miazga is in contention for a World Cup roster spot. Any hope he may have had was likely ended when he wasn’t called in for the team’s pre-World Cup fitness camp.
Speaking to reporters this week, Miazga was asked about Berhalter name-checking him last month as a player who nearly made his roster for friendlies against Japan and Saudi Arabia.
In response, Miazga aired out his belief that some fundamental issues with Berhalter could be part of the reason he’s been out of the USMNT picture recently.
“We didn’t see eye to eye on a few things in the past and that has affected me from being called up. But it is what it is,” Miazga said.
“I’d like to say few things but I’ll refrain from that. You guys will eventually find out.
“I’m always ready to play for the national team. But I don’t make the decisions. There’s one guy that makes the decisions and that’s how it goes.”
Miazga was asked if he and Berhalter had patched things up, to which he responded: “Me and Gregg have been texting throughout the last four years. He’s been in touch with me recently and I’m sure he watches my games. Football works mysteriously, it moves quick. Me moving out of the national team moved quickly, me coming back in could move quickly as well.”
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