Matt Miazga TALKS about FC Cincinnati LOSING STREAK and FACING CF Montréal

Matt how have you been uh good it's been months since yeah it's been a while it's been a while definitely uh I feel good um happy to be you know amongst amongst the guys and around the club which is nice um you that um but uh yeah it's been good time's flying um so I'm I'm happy with the journey so far it's my reality and I'm enjoying every moment would did you say that I was trying to look back at past serious injuries that you may have had in your career last night and would you say this has been the most serious yeah this is the only serious I think uh I don't know since I was 17 like the only big ones I've had was like ankle stuff that kept me out for like a month two months Max you know what I mean but like two months Max meaning like two months and I was already playing a game like I was on the pitch training but this is like my first major injury so uh it was a tough pill to swallow in the beginning for sure um because like I never imagined it happening to me after for so long so um that was tough but you know it is what it is that's life you got to you know accept the challenges and you know get back stronger and you know regroup uh your mind and yourself and keep moving forward did you know right excuse me did you know right away that you had done something serious to be honest yeah I thought like I mean I couldn't move I was like oh my God my leg's broken so you know because I saw a massive gash on my leg so I was like oh damns but then uh when I got to the um when I got to the hospital they do the X-ray and they're like oh everything's fine like your legs not broken I was like oh great like this is a good time maybe I'll be out for like three four weeks like a massive like contusion type of thing but then obviously when I got home like some like my I just know something wasn't right like at that point like 24 hours later like something's not right and then we took an MRI and then it was the knee unfortunately uh they kind of explained the injury like a car crash like it's so uncommon what was was injured but like that's what happened basically um it's like they're saying when you're in the front of a car and your legs are like here and the car comes and then KN your knee comes back like that and then that's that basically what happened but sideways on the post so uh it is what it is you know uh it's unfortunate um it gives me a better piece of Mind knowing that like it was like it wasn't non- Conta like it's not like it was my fault where like you know I was stupid I mean to be fair like I ran toos you know what I'm trying to you know what I'm trying to say like uh I was making a play you know and unfortunately I had to make the play and then you know uh I ran into the post you know if it was maybe like two millimeters that way or two Mill that way maybe it would just be like you know a shin bruise or something or it would catch my shin guard and it would like take compensate the impact but you know it happened and you gotta take it and move forward so wow I know we talked kind of in passing briefly uh about just how that happened like uh I know the fans have been dying to know like because it was kind of is it like the field conditions where yeah I don't know it's so tough to say it's like it maybe I think it it might have played a little fact I mean I knew I was always going to go slide into that play but maybe like the the pitch kind of came up on me and then I kind of had to like slide like you know half a second earlier or like kind of like take it into stride and then block the ball I feel like maybe like yeah if I didn't slip that half a second earlier maybe I kind of would have like understood like all right like what's going on around me and then I couldn't kind of like figure it out but it happened so fast the guy the guy on San Jose I forgot who it was he took the ball really quickly because it was coming out but he shot it really quickly so I had to like act fast but you know it is what it is that's the motto um Matt with where you're at right now I imagine I can't imagine that you're not involved with the team with the guys specifically is this a new leadership situation for you and and how have you been adapting to that yeah it's obviously harder it hits harder when like you go to the games and uh and you're there at the locker room but like you're not getting dressed and getting ready um I try to you know encourage the guys you know what I mean you know talk during the team the team meetings and kind of like encourage and give confidence um and just be like a vocal presence um but it's definitely different like I can't like it's harder for me to say things when I'm not on the field like experiencing these things and I've always been a guy like if I'm not playing like I'm not going to be giving my two cents to a guy that's you know in the grind of it but now as I'm older like I feel like you know I have that um I guess Merit and credit built up that like I can say these things to certain guys and and kind of help them and and I just try to give confidence I think that's the biggest thing is just giving confidence and and encouraging guys because I feel like that's the most important thing it's got particularly hard for you i' imagine for you specifically this last stretch how have you observed this last stretch you trying to yeah it's like I said it's tough to say because I'm not playing um but yeah it's the first time since I've been here that you know there's been a a bad stretch like this um so um like I said it's it's different when you're on the outside looking in instead of like being in the midst of you know the battle and and all the the playing going on but um you know we have a strong group of guys we have strong leadership and in Pat and d and Kenny and Paul Rogers and all those and Ricky and all those guys so I know that you know we're going to hopefully write the very soon and uh and get back to winning ways um I guess in the business on your side of it like the team is always going to change but over the last few weeks you've watched as the club has brought in guys that you'll be teammates with next year I would imagine that's pretty unique watching it happen but not being able to play with them right away um so I mean teenage isn't here yet but uh Cheeto is and I don't I I was curious about what you thought about these moves at the center back position and um you know this is all designed to I mean you're the guy you're the guy back there you will be the guy back there what do you think about these players that will be yeah around you um I mean that's a I think that's a question for Albright but uh but no I mean look I'm just a player I got to just play my game and and do my thing um but yeah feel like you know whoever comes in uh if it's a defender or whoever it is I'm going to try to make them feel comfortable and help them out it's obviously different because I can't like kind of play with them and you know I have to kind of you know just talk in the locker room with them but um I'm always a guy that like wants to wants everyone to feel welcome because I know how it is to go into new clubs and maybe not know certain people or even in different countries and you want to feel welcomed you want to talk to guys you want want to have that um that feeling of you know being a part of something right away um but yeah like I said the the ownership and and the front office is going to do what they think is right you know and I can't tell them what's right and what's wrong you know that's their job and we'll see how we'll see what happens can you tell us kind of where you are in your rehab and yeah yeah I'm uh I'm nine weeks postop yesterday um I'm basically just doing a lot of strength just to get the quad uh backfiring um and get my strength back um I'm mean in Ideal World I feel like I can start jogging and running uh in three to four weeks like the 12 week Mark 13 13 week Mark is where they told me and then I mean an Ideal World I can just be training on the pitch you know individually like in November mid November late November and then December is going to be passive for me uh getting back to full speed and then January I'm the plan is to hit the hit the ground running with the team so we'll see how it goes like I said you know that's the plan that's the idea but you know I'm taking it day by day and and seeing you know how I feel where I'll be at you know knowing that I'm out for the year like there's no rush in getting back by like end of November or middle of November like I can take my time and you know if I feel good one day I can push it if I don't feel good I can take a rest you know so uh that's been good I think the uh the club has been really good with me uh when I was in New York with HSS and then now when I'm here with the rehab specialist here um I've been really taken care of so I can't complain at all you coming off defender of the playing at a high level injy do you have like are you pretty confident you'll be able to get back to level like is there yeah no no no those are that's those are fair uh judgments to make I uh um yeah that the plan is obviously to come back stronger I uh did a little bit of research uh after my injury and saw like all right what players or like what Defenders or what top players have had like long-term injuries um and big injuries and to be honest with you I've I've I didn't realize how much players had a long-term injury like in their career once or twice so then uh I saw like you know players I I look up to were know at a high level and they've come back even stronger so I'm like all right like you know if they can do it I can do it too you know what I mean so um I feel good I feel strong and it's not even like it's not even like a 12 month or it's like it's a half a year injury so um I feel good and the doctors have given me really good uh feedback you know what I mean I think Riley Williams did my surgery in uh in New York and he's one of the best in the world so um he gave me really good confidence uh about how it went and how my rehab was going so I feel good and it's all up here you know put my mind to it I know I'll get back to the same level if not better so yeah one more he from Pat were you able to you just mentioned the research you had done were you able to like talk to any of those guys or no no cuz it was like van djk and like I was gonna say her but uh but no I uh I've had friends in the past that that have had major injuries um knee injuries specifically that I've played with in Europe and um um even a couple guys here like Nick had his minuscal done as well so um you know it's possible like it it's it's there's a high chance that you're going to come back like even better as well because I can just really focus on just like every part of my body like improving in every aspect um and then even having like the time where I'm going to have like one or two months on the field like it's about getting up to speed but like I can start you know doing little things in my game where I can focus and improve like you know certain aspects so when sometimes during the season you don't have that time because you got to recover and game recover game and now I can just like and then offseason is like all right now I rest but now I have like a two-month period I'm gonna be on the field and like you gotta get creative on you know what to do and how to do drills and I'm excited for that actually I'm excited to to do that to be honest with you so um yeah everything happens for reason and got to come back stronger you mentioned ni having this a similar injury at one point and you never obviously wish for a teammate to also get hurt but has having him rehabing at the same time as you been a help like how has that been being with him yeah no he's probably one of my he's probably my best friend on the team so uh so having him like I mean obviously when he went down I was like no you know and then uh we found out he had a longterm injury as well but I I'm hoping for him to be back still by the end of the year I mean an Ideal World I know he's not going to say it but you know I know he's a he's a strong healer and he's a good guy uh in rehab so I know he's pushing and I I want him to uh I still believe in that he'll be back by in of the year so I'm putting that pressure on him but I'm gonna tell him after this I'm like bro you gotta get back now uh but no he's a he's a guy that you know he's he's probably I've been a lot I've been in a lot of locker rooms over my career and he's probably like top three if not the best like you know teammate I've ever had so um let alone own friend but teammate um so um it's been great you know having that you know banter and and atmosphere in the chain in the uh in the rehab room with him um and kind of you know making it fun you know sometimes you know you're in there for a long periods of time and you're know you're stressed and you know it's boring but you know having him we can joke we can have fun we can enjoy so that's been good so yeah guys apprciate it good to see you you too guys