HARRISON, N.J. – New York Red Bulls center back Matt Miazga is a promising dual national and recently received call-ups from both the US and Polish Under-20 national teams.
He chose the US, but only because they called first.
Sources informed MLSsoccer.com earlier this week that Miazga, 19, is set to partake in the US’ upcoming camp in Argentina instead of representing Poland at the annual Four Nations Tournament. But Miazga’s decision to represent the US next month instead of Poland, where his parents are from, is not necessarily an indication of where his long-term international allegiances lie.
Rather, it was just a matter of timing.
“US called me up first, and I already committed to them before I even knew about Poland,” Miazga told MLSsoccer.com. “Once I got the Polish call-up, I told the coach I already committed to the US for this camp, so I’m going for the US.”
A Clifton, New Jersey, native, Miazga played for both the US U-18 and U-20 teams in 2013 and 2014 and has not suited up for a Poland side since representing the European nation’s U-18 team back in 2012. That might leave some to think that he is leaning towards the US as his national team of choice, but Miazga says that is far from the case.
“I’m still open for the future, because you never know what will happen,” said Miazga. “But for now I’m going to Argentina next with the US U-20s, so I’m looking forward to that, and we’ll see what happens in the future.”
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Earlier this summer, Miazga started a string of league games for New York and looked good until some inevitable growing pains showed themselves. Still, the potential he showed during that stretch has confirmed the interest shown by both national teams for quite some time.
Born in 1995, Miazga is eligible to play in the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup, to be held in New Zealand May 30-June 20 of next year. While Poland did not qualify for the tournament, the US will enter the CONCACAF qualifying tournament in Jamaica in January 2015, and Miazga could be named to that squad. He is also eligible to play in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro for either country, provided they qualify.
“It’s a unique situation to have, to say the least,” said Miazga, who has started six of the seven MLS matches he has played in this year.
Sources also told MLSsoccer.com that Miazga will be joined at the upcoming US U-20 camp by Red Bulls teammate and goalkeeper Santiago Castaño.
