Doug McIntyre
football journalist
As far as US men’s national team supporters are concerned, the story of the 2024-25 European club season will be about Christian Pulisic, who just led AC Milan to the Italian Super Cup title, and US soccer’s newest star, Anthony “Jedi” Robinson. The man, who had a standout performance for Fulham last year, is being pursued by Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Pulisic and Robinson have earned such praise. The same goes for Germany-based right-back Joe Scally. Even though he didn’t actually get it.
In November, Scally pulled off an incredible feat that caught the attention of USMNT fans. At 22, Scali became the fourth youngest player in history to make 100 Bundesliga appearances. The three players in front of him are all true legends. Lothar Matthaus and Berti Vogz, great players of the World Cup-winning German national team, and long-time Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
“Honestly, I think it’s largely overlooked by the fans,” Scally said Tuesday during a Zoom conference with a small group of reporters when asked about being in such esteemed company. “But for me it makes me very proud and happy.”
Scally has been a starter for Borussia Mönchengladbach for four seasons now. He made his Bundesliga debut against a mighty Bayern Munich in 2021 and has never been left out of the lineup since, despite playing under three different managers in his first three seasons abroad.
“My goal is to earn the trust of a lot of different coaches, stay at that starting point and play 100 games before I’m 22,” said Scally, who spent his first three seasons as a professional with hometown MLS club New York City FC. It gives me a lot of confidence.”
Both club and country are displayed in the field. Scally, who replaced injured USMNT standout Sergiño Dest for most of 2024, was one of the few bright spots in last summer’s disastrous Copa América.
He has taken this form into the German season with ‘Gladbach’, who have steadily climbed the standings after losing four of their first six games. They go into the second half of the restart at home to league leaders Bayern on Saturday just three points adrift of a Champions League place. Scally started all 15 games and logged 90 minutes in 11 of them.
Scally credited the best season of his career to current Gladbach coach Gerardo Seoane, now in his second year in charge.
“He taught me how to play in different positions and gave me the confidence that I can now play a full game for two seasons in a row.” said Scally, who has also played left-back and centre-back in a three-man backline this season. “I think he definitely helped me,” Scally said.
That versatility is one of the reasons why United States coach Mauricio Pochettino was comfortable not calling on the natural left-footer to cover for Robinson before the successful Concacaf Nations League quarter-final against Jamaica in November. Scally has started all four games under Pochettino so far, but there has been a learning curve under the former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur manager.
“He’s had to mix his game between being the third centre-back and helping in support,” Robinson said of Scully between two games in November when the United States had possession in their own half. “He had to do different things, but I think he showed he could close his wings and be strong and powerful.
“And he was a really nice guy.” Robinson added. “Going forward, he will continue to improve as a player and build his confidence to secure that spot. And when Sergiño comes back, it will be a really good competition to see who will play.”
With just 17 months left until the start of the 2026 World Cup, Scally will be relishing his chances. He was the youngest member of the Americans’ 2022 roster but did not come off the bench in Qatar.
“We’ve only had two camps with Pochettino, so everyone is still getting used to it,” Scally said when asked about Pochettino on Tuesday. “But it’s amazing to have a coach of his caliber on the team who has coached such great teams and such great players.
“Everything is moving in the right direction,” he added. “You could see it in the way we played. Everyone is very confident.”
That includes Scally, who was able to recharge in his native Long Island during the Bundesliga winter break. He celebrated his birthday on New Year’s Eve. Now he’s ready to get back to work. “Playing against Bayern is always special,” he said.
Helping Gladbach upset the favorites would certainly boost Scally’s Q-score with American supporters. He won’t mind it. He also knows which audiences are really important.
“It feels like every game there’s someone from the national team watching,” Scally said.
Doug McIntyre is a football writer for FOX Sports. USA Men’s and women’s national teams participating in the FIFA World Cup on five continents. follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.
Joe Scali
USA
FIFA Men’s World Cup
GET MORE FROM US Follow your favorites to stay informed about games, news, and more.
