New York City FC made an addition to its backline on Tuesday, adding former MLS Defender of the Year Matt Miazga after he was waived by FC Cincinnati.
The Clifton, New Jersey, native joins an NYCFC club that has struggled since the World Cup break and watched as it fell out of playoff positioning after the loss to Red Bull New York on Friday.
Miazga was an instrumental part of FC Cincinnati’s turnaround in recent years and won the award for the league’s best defender, as well as made the MLS Best XI and All-Star teams in 2023.
Miazga has been hindered by injury over the past few years, though the 31-year-old defender has made 14 appearances in MLS matches for Cincinnati this season.
“We’re excited to welcome Matt to New York City,” sporting director Todd Dunivant said in a statement. “Matt brings experience, mentality, and a competitive edge to our backline. His leadership will be valuable as we enter the final stretch of the season.”
He will give New York City FC depth at the center back position, which has seen James Sands and captain Thiago Martins primarily relied on in recent weeks.
Aside from depth, Miazga brings a bit of a fiery personality to the club, known as a bit of an antagonist over the course of his career.
Miazga got his professional start with the Red Bulls and his lone goal in his three pro seasons with the NYCFC rival came against his new club in the first Hudson River Derby match at Yankee Stadium in 2015.
He moved to Chelsea in 2016 for a $5 million transfer fee and was loaned out to Vitesse, FC Nantes, Deportivo Alaves, Anderlecht and Reading before moving to FC Cincinnati in 2022.
“I’m really excited to join New York City FC and get straight to work,” Miazga said in a statement. “We have an important stretch ahead of us, and I’m ready to do everything I can to help the team compete for the playoffs and make a strong run through the rest of the season.”
Miazga also has 28 caps for the U.S. men’s national team during the course of his career.
The 31-year-old’s addition to the club isn’t the only thing that the front office has been focused on.
Martins confirmed to “The City Boys Show” following the loss on Friday that he and the club have been engaged in contract talks.
The captain’s contract is up after this season and the recent release by MLS of all 30 of its teams’ roster profiles revealed that Martins had been down from a Designated Player to a TAM player in order to accommodate the addition of DP signee Bénie Traoré.
“We already started some conversations. There’s nothing…final,” he said. “It’s just trying to see about numbers, about what they expect from me for the future, what they want from me.”
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