MIAMI, Florida – FC Cincinnati are one of seven teams making their debut in the Concacaf Champions Cup and will start their maiden voyage in the 2024 edition against Jamaican side Cavalier.
New ground to be broken in 🇺🇸 FC Cincinnati-Cavalier 🇯🇲 series https://t.co/iGmt7hNz2U 🔗
— Concacaf Champions Cup (@TheChampions) January 23, 2024
For a city that has quickly embraced football since the team’s first season in Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2019, the opportunity for FC Cincinnati to play in the region’s most prestigious club competition is a really big deal.
“There is a buzz. This is the Champions Cup here in the Concacaf region, it’s definitely exciting. MLS teams haven’t been that successful over the course of the competition, so we want to be in a situation in which, in an ideal world, we can win this cup,” said FC Cincinnati DF Matt Miazga in an interview with Concacaf.com.
“We had a strong mentality last year. We knew if we put everything into every game, one game at a time, that we’d be alright, and it worked. We need to have the same mentality. We have a strong core here. We have a lot of young players here who are ready to take the next step. It’s going to be exciting,” added Miazga.
FC Cincinnati punched their 2024 Champions Cup ticket as winners of the 2023 MLS Supporters Shield, finishing the regular season with the best overall record. Barely a month after their 2023 MLS season ended in the playoff semifinals, Miazga and FC Cincinnati returned for preseason preparation and are quickly ramping up for a busy spring stretch.
“We’re slowly getting our fitness levels up, getting sharper as the days go by, playing with the ball, reemphasizing the ideas that we have, the style of play that we have. It’s improving and we are getting better and continuing to build,’ said Miazga.
Feb 25, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; FC Cincinnati defender Matt Miazga (21) dribbles against Houston Dynamo FC in the first half at TQL Stadium. Photo by: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
The experienced center back is one of the few FC Cincinnati players who has Champions Cup experience. As a member of the New York Red Bulls, Miazga played in a 1-1 draw versus CF Montreal on the final matchday of the 2014-15 group stage. Now, almost 10 years later, Miazga is back on Concacaf’s biggest stage.
“My mentality is different than what it is now. I had only played a handful of games as a professional, I was 18, so for me it was just about playing games and making a name for myself. Now, it’s about me being one of the leaders of this team, telling the guys, Hey, let’s go win this thing.’ That’s the mentality now. It’s exciting, I’m an experienced player playing in an experienced competition,” said Miazga.
The 28-year-old spent the large majority of the past decade playing in Europe before returning to MLS with FC Cincinnati in August 2022. Miazga is left impressed by how much the Champions Cup has grown since his tournament debut in October 2014.
“I feel like there is a lot more importance to the tournament. It’s an important trophy because if you win Concacaf Champions Cup, you could play for a Club World Cup and that entices players. It’s like a cherry on top. You win this trophy, it’s great, you’re kings of the region and then you play a Club World Cup, so that’s a big factor and guys take it very seriously,” said Miazga.
FC Cincinnati’s Champions Cup campaign starts on February 22 in the first leg of Round One against Cavalier in Jamaica. While Miazga and his teammates are still primarily focused on getting their fitness up to snuff, he stresses that they’ll be ready to compete when the whistle sounds in Kingston.
“It will be a good test. The reality is that it will be our first game of the season, they are already in season and in the thick of things. It will be a challenge, but a challenge we are looking forward to and a challenge we need to overcome because we want to advance,” said Miazga.
One of those challenges will be slowing down Cavalier’s high-flying goalscorer Shaniel Thomas, who led the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup in scoring with eight goals.
“I’m going to see his tendencies in a scouting report, his strengths and weaknesses, but the mentality is always the same, which is to go out there and win my duels, win my battles and play my game. I don’t take anyone lightly and I know everyone poses their own threat.
“This game sets the tone for the start of the season. It’s going to be a battle and I’ll be ready for it,” concluded Miazga.
