USMNT defender Matt Miazga named MLS Defender of the Year after leading FC Cincinnati to first-ever MLS Supporters' Shield and No. 1 overall playoff seed

The 28-year-old central defender was crowned the best in the league on Monday, with an accumulated voting percentage of 25.45% of the total votes.

Current active players, selected media members and respective coaches/front office staff all account for the voting tally with one-third going to each section. Miazga's highest percentage of votes came from active media members.

Miazga's accomplishments in 2023 are ahead of the rest, despite some worthy opponents in the race like Orlando City's Robin Jansson. The 28-year-old USMNT defender, however, anchored the league's fifth-best defense en-route to a Supporter's Shield and the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs.

He was an MLS All-Star who played in the XI vs Arsenal over the summer, earned 10 clean sheets in matches he started in and when Cincy had him on the pitch, they won more often than not. To be exact, with Miazga in the mix, they went 21-4-12 - only falling four times since his August 2022 arrival.

Miazga played for English Premier League side Chelsea early in his career, but after a few stints on loan from the Blues, the USMNT defender returned to the U.S. with Cincy in 2022.

He spent nearly a decade abroad, with clubs in the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Spain, and of course, England.

The 28-year-old and his club will take the pitch again on November 25, when they take on the Philadelphia Union in the MLS playoffs. The Eastern Conference quarter-final will debut the post-season's extra-time and penalties format, with Round One going straight to spot kicks. It's a win-or-go-home match for both sides.