'The past is the past' - USMNT's Matt Miazga eager for second chance under Gregg Berhalter after feeling 'screwed' last cycle

U.S. men's national team defender Matt Miazga is ready to move on under the returning Gregg Berhalter after the two didn't see eye to eye last cycle.

WHAT HAPPENED? Prior to Berhalter's return, the FC Cincinnati star said he felt «screwed» by the USMNT boss, adding that he felt that the two never saw eye to eye last cycle as he earned just four caps between 2020 and 2022. Miazga, ultimately, missed out on the World Cup, with Berhalter preferring other options at centerback.

Miazga was eager for a chance to prove himself under a new coach, although that won't come to fruition with Berhalter returning to the role. Knowing that, Miazga is ready to bury whatever hatchet there was as he looks to prove himself to Berhalter with what he hopes is a clean slate.

WHAT THEY SAID: «I haven't spoken to him since right before the World Cup when he called me,» Miazga said, «but, yeah, the past of the past. At the end of the day, nobody really cares about what happened in the past. Things move on and now I'm excited to be wearing the crest again.

»Obviously Gregg has the job, so I have to make sure that I control what I can control and make sure that I play well and do well here and do well with FC Cincinnati. Hopefully, the rest can take care of itself, so I'm looking forward to it."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Miazga is one of four centerbacks in the USMNT squad for the Gold Cup, with the U.S. being coached by interim boss and ex-Berhalter assistant B.J. Callaghan. The defender has started two of the three games so far, coming off the bench during halftime of that third game, the 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago.

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WHAT NEXT FOR USMNT? The U.S. will face Canada in the Gold Cup quarterfinals on Sunday in Cincinnati, with Miazga