The USMNT saw their Gold Cup cut short on Wednesday night when they were dumped out by Panama in the semifinals.
For the team, the tournament was a chance to build on their recent Nations League victory, while for some players, it was a chance to reassert themselves in the national setup.
One such example was Matt Miazga. The 27-year-old was hoping the Gold Cup would allow him to establish himself with the national team after a rocky relationship with Gregg Berhalter last cycle.
Although the coach wasn’t here for the tournament, it’s hard to imagine his opinion on Miazga changing given what he saw on the field.
Miazga wasn’t overly impressive
In five games, the FC Cincinnati man was okay overall, albeit a bit shaky at times. He wasn’t poor by any stretch of the imagination, but for someone looking to overtake those ahead of him on the depth chart, more was needed.
Two low points came when he looked uncertain on Canada’s second goal in the quarter finals, with the U.S. later finding a way through on penalties. Then on Wednesday night, he was slow to step up, which opened the door for Panama’s opener.
For all of his defensive issues, there’s also the fact that Miazga continues to attract unwanted attention with his poor sportsmanship.
Given the team is intent on building chemistry and keeping everyone accountable, the 27-year-old’s attempts to unsettle Cecelio Waterman in the penalty shootout didn’t come off as appropriate.
Miazga‘s strong form for Cincinnati will keep him in the mix when it comes to the national team, but safe to say he could have done more to help his case this summer.
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