The New England Revolution returned to the pitch after a week off due to the international break. That wasn't exactly the case for Peyton Miller, who was with the United States Men's National Team.
Miller earned his first start and minutes in general for the senior squad. He started in the Americans' opening match of the window against Peru and played 62 minutes before being replaced by Antonee Robinson.
Playing left back, Miller completed 36 of 37 passes while having two key passes and a big chance created. On the defensive side, the Revolution youngster struggled, including allowing the Peruvian goalscorer to skirt in front of him for a free header.
After that, Miller would only go on to make a cameo appearance against Mexico. The youngster called the window a learning experience.
"First of all, I'm grateful for the opportunity and I'm blessed to have the opportunity," Miller said when asked by The Blazing Musket about the call up. "During the camp, I learned a lot, especially from Mauricio and the older guys like Antonee and Tyler Adams. In terms of playing time, I started the first game, which was great, and I got into the Mexico game for a couple of minutes. But overall it's a learning experience, and I'm going to take whatever minutes I get, and I'm going to do my best."
Miller's teammate – and friend – Brooklyn Raines earned two starts and played a combined 172 minutes. The Connecticut native said it was special to make his debut alongside Raines, and the duo got subbed into the Mexico game together.
The window saw Miller revert to playing left back. He has largely played higher up the field under Marko Mitrovic, similar to what he has done when he was on youth national teams.
Playing further back impacted Miller's ability to get minutes. Robinson is the clear No. 1 at the beginning of the cycle, and likely once the 2030 World Cup arrives, when it comes to the left back position.
While competition still exists further up the field, Miller is happy to play wherever Mauricio Pochettino opts to field him.
"For me, wherever the coach puts me, I'm going to play," Miller said when asked about his positioning. "It has been a conversation that I did have with Mauricio when I was there. My main position would be left back with him, but he did say that I could play higher up the field too at times. So wherever coach puts me is where I'm gonna play. I'm going to do the best I can and do my job."
The window was a success for the United States as the USMNT secured four wins. It was also a big step forward for Miller as he got his first minutes with the senior team.
But no matter where he is on the field, Miller will be hoping for more minutes in subsequent call ups.
