USMNT 40 Tracker: Top-class marks for Miazga with Vitesse

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Sep 23, 2017

With concerns about the U.S. national team's corps of center backs available for the October qualifiers against Panama and Trinidad & Tobago, Matt Miazga is making a case for a bigger role. He starred for Vitesse in its 2-1 win at Ajax, earning the highest rating for a defender by the Algemeen Dagblad daily in the weekend Dutch Eredivisie matches.

Vitesse, which moved it into third place with the win, hasn't lost since Miazga, who was not called in for the September qualifiers, was reinserted into the Vitesse starting lineup after his return from the Gold Cup.

Miazga and South African midfielder Thulani Serero, a former Ajax player, were the top players in Vitesse's win in Amsterdam.

John Brooks is out for sure, while Geoff Cameron is still recovering from a hamstring injury. Matt Besler went off in the last minute of Sporting Kansas City's 2-1 win over the LA Galaxy with an injury to his head that required stitches above his right eye but is not expected to sideline him.

MLS. Chris Pontius scored his first two goals of the season for the Philadelphia Union in its 3-1 win over the Chicago Fire, while Paul Arriola had his first two assists since joining D.C. United, connecting with Patrick Mullins on the first two of his four second-half goals in the 4-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes.

Germany. Christian Pulisic's Borussia Dortmund remained in first place in the Bundesliga with a 6-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach. The goal it allowed was the first in six league games. Pulisic started but did not figure in the scoring. Fabian Johnson got his first start of the season for Gladbach.



Other Americans in Europe: Weston McKennie, 19, got his second straight start for Schalke 04 in its 2-0 loss at second-place Hoffenheim.

USMNT 40 Tally:
30 started
2 on bench
4 did not dress
4 did not have games

USMNT 40:
GOALKEEPERS (7):
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Jesse Gonzalez (FC Dallas), 90 minutes, 1-4 at Minn. United
Bill Hamid (D.C. United), on bench, 3-1 vs. San Jose Earthquakes
Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids), 90 minutes, 1-2 at Vancouver Whitecaps
Sean Johnson (New York City FC), 90 minutes, 1-1 vs. Houston Dynamo
Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), 2-0 vs. Seattle Sounders
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
Brad Guzan (Atlanta United), 90 minutes, 2-0 vs. Montreal Impact
Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge/BEL), 90 minutes, 2-1 at Sporting Charleroi

DEFENDERS (13):
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo), 90 minutes, 1-1 at New York City
Timmy Chandler (Ein. Frankfurt/GER), 90 minutes, 1-2 at RB Leipzig
Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca, MEX), no game
Matt Hedges (FC Dallas), did not dress, 1-4 at Minn. United
Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest, ENG 2), on bench, 1-2 at Aston Villa
Michael Orozco (Tijuana/MEX), no game
Justin Morrow (Toronto FC), 90 minutes, 1-2 at New England Revolution
Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG 2), 90 minutes, 1-1 vs. Middlesbrough
Jorge Villafana (Santos Laguna, MEX), no game
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
Matt Besler (Sporting KC), 89 minutes, 2-1 vs. LA Galaxy
Matt Miazga (Vitesse, NED), 90 minutes, 2-1 at Ajax
DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United/ENG), 90 minutes, 0-1, at Brighton & Hove Albion
Graham Zusi (Sporting KC), 90 minutes, 1 assist, 2-1 vs. LA Galaxy

MIDFIELDERS (14):
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Paul Arriola (D.C. United), 90 minutes, 2 assists, 4-0 vs. San Jose Earthquakes
Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), 90 minutes, 1 assist, 3-1 vs. Chicago Fire
Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), 90 minutes, 1 assist, 1-2 at New England Revolution
Joe Corona (Tijuana, MEX), no game
Fabian Johnson (Bor. Moenchengladbach/GER), 71 minutes, 1-6 at Bor. Dortmund
Sacha Kljestan (NY Red Bulls), 59 minutes, 2-3 at Columbus Crew
Dax McCarty (Chicago Fire), 77 minutes, 1-3 at Philadelphia Union
Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), did not dress, 1-4 at Minn. United
Chris Pontius (Philadelphia Union), 90 minutes, 2 goals, 3-1 vs. Chicago Fire
Christian Pulisic (Bor. Dortmund, GER), 63 minutes, 6-1 vs. Bor. M'Gladbach
Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), 90 minutes, 0-2 at Real Salt Lake
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
Jermaine Jones (LA Galaxy), did not dress (suspended), 1-2 at Sporting KC
Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), 87 minutes, 3-0 vs. Orlando City
Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy), 90 minutes, 1-2 at Sporting KC

FORWARDS (6):
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution), 90 minutes, 2-1 vs. Toronto FC
Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), did not dress, 1-2 at New England Revolution
Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders), 90 minutes, 0-2 at Real Salt Lake
Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), 90 minutes, 3-1 at D.C. United
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
Dom Dwyer (Orlando City), 90 minutes, 0-3 at Portland Timbers
Bobby Wood (Hamburg/GER), 90 minutes, 0-3 at Bayer Leverkusen

Injured:
John Brooks (Wolfsburg/GER)
Geoff Cameron (Stoke City/ENG)
Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy)
Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders)
Kelyn Rowe (New England Revolution)
Kenny Saief (Gent, BEL)