A week after making a solid English Premier League debut for Chelsea, starting in a 4-0 shutout of Aston Villa, former New York Red Bulls defender Matt Miazga was given the starting nod again at Swansea City on Saturday.
But Miazga's second start will be one he'll want to forget.
The 20-year-old US national team center back had a poor clearance result in a Swansea goal, he received a yellow card and he had another nearly costly giveaway before being replaced at halftime by 20-year-old Brazilian defender Kenedy. Chelsea lost the match 1-0, the first EPL defeat since Guus Hiddink took over for Jose Mourinho earlier this season.
Miazga, who featured on the right side of a center back pairing with Branislav Ivanovic, saw a weakly headed clearance fall right to Gylfi Sigurdsson, who scored the opening goal for Swansea in the 25th minute. Eight minutes earlier a giveaway by Miazga in his own half led to a critical save by Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
And just five minutes before the half he was beaten by Ecuadorian international Jefferson Montero and was forced to pull him down, earning a caution.
Miazga was transferred by the New York Red Bulls to Chelsea on January 30 after a brief three-year MLS career which saw him earn a starting spot in 2015, appearing 26 times in the Red Bulls' Supporters' Shield-winning season.
