ARLINGTON, Mass. — The United States Men’s National Team will play its second World Cup friendly this weekend against Germany in Chicago, Illinois. The Americans play their first World Cup match of the summer against Paraguay in Los Angeles, California next Friday June 12th.
Local standout athlete Miles Robinson will make his World Cup debut for his country.
“He did a family facetime, and we were like oh my God,” Jane Madden, Robinson’s mother said. “Guys I made the team. We were all really excited.”
Robinson grew up playing soccer in Arlington, Massachusetts and started kicking a ball around when he was three years old. He played one season of varsity soccer at the high school before joining a local club team. At Arlington High, Robinson was a standout basketball player. He scored more than 1,000 career points, which is 4th in school history.
The star athletes went on to play soccer for Syracuse University. After less than two years, he entered the Major League Soccer Draft and was taken with the second overall pick by Atlanta United in 2017.
The defender won trophies with Atlanta before joining FC Cincinnati in 2024. The 29-year-old has made 39 appearances for the USMNT and has scored three goals, but he missed the last World Cup in 2022. Robinson had an Achilles injury. His mother says he has worked hard since the injury to get back and form and make the USMNT roster for soccer’s biggest stage.
“He’s been working towards playing in this World Cup especially on home soil that’s really nice,” she said. “This is the pinnacle.”
Robinson played in the friendly against Senegal last weekend, starting the second half on defense. He helped preserve the lead as the USMNT won 3-2. Now, his family is focused on the final friendly with Germany this weekend before they fly to the west coast to watch the World Cup matches.
“When Miles is locked in, he is extraordinary. I’m not just saying that because he’s my son. Other people have said it too,” Robinson’s father Jeff Robinson said. “I’m excited because I know he’s going to be focused. He wants to win the World Cup. He doesn’t want to be just there, that’s not how he thinks.”
The town was buzzing when Robinson made the team. His former basketball coach, John Bowler, said the school was pumped for him.
“First person from Arlington to play in the Olympics and first to play in the World Cup,” Bowler said. “He’s done a lot of firsts. All the kids in Arlington probably didn’t think it was possible to be an Olympian, or a World Cup now see someone from Arlington did it.”
Bowler is now the Arlington High School Athletic Director. He says Robinson was a great athlete, but a better teammate.
“Great representative for the town and everybody loves him,” Bowler said. “He was the best teammate, great friend and great role model for kids in Arlington.”
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