Joe Scally interview: Life under Pochettino and at Gladbach
US Men’s National Team and Borussia Monchengladbach defender Joe Scally is having the time of his life in Germany. Since joining the club in 2021, the New York born defender has played over 100 games for Gladbach, and is a regular starter in a well-drilled team.
Before Saturday’s game against Bayern Munich, Scally spoke with World Soccer Talk and other U.S. outlets in a media roundtable. The American discussed a range of topics including Mauricio Pochettino, what life is like in Germany, and why Gladbach supporters are some of the best in the world.
Joe Scally interview: In his own words
You guys didn’t exactly have the best start to the season, but really turned things around in the second half of the Hinrunde. What exactly was it that coach Gerardo Seoane did to get you guys going?
Joe Scally: “Yeah, I think we played some of the toughest teams in the league, right off the bat. I think we started with Leverkusen, then Bochum which we won against, and then Frankfurt and other teams.
“We knew the beginning was going to be tough. We won the games we should. And I guess you can say lost the games that on paper we were supposed to. I think that was just the unfortunate thing, and then we turn it around by winning games, winning games that maybe on the outside looked like we shouldn’t have. So that’s the main thing.”
I wanted to ask about the winter break because it’s something not unique to the Bundesliga, a few other leagues do it. But it’s something that a lot of your national teammates don’t necessarily get like Christian Pulisic who was out there playing in Saudi Arabia yesterday.
Scally: “Always having this 10-day break where where we have off is so nice to just forget about soccer, be with friends, family and at home for the holidays. It was so nice just to relax and reset. And then it makes it easier to focus on the game because you have so much hype and energy. Just like you’re you’re a kid again. You have this time off and then you have the game again. So it’s a lot of fun.”
You’ve played a lot of games, you’ve been a starter for a long time with Gladbach now, I think over 100 Bundesliga games. But it feels like watching you this season that this is your best season yet. I’m just curious what you attribute that to, what sort of things you worked on, how you got to the spot right now. And if you if you agree with my assessment that it’s your best year so far.
Scally: “Each year has gotten better and better so thank you, it’s nice to hear that. But I think overall as a team, we’ve just gotten better. I think each player individually has just kind of stepped up their game stepped up to their level because we all know what it takes to be a top team.
“So I think just having players around me who, who can push me every day in training and, staying focused, I got older, I got more mature and I think that’s something that definitely helped my game on the field and every day, I’m just trying to get better, watch video, watch film and just things that I can improve on.”
Were there any specific areas Joe that you focused on and feel you have improved?
Scally: “Yeah. This year and a little bit of last year I started to play in three-in-the-back with the ball. I think that’s something I improved.
“I can play multiple positions like I’ve shown in in the recent years and yeah, just I guess staying more focused throughout the whole game staying clean on the ball and just creating different different angles.”
Scally’s improvement as a footballer at Gladbach
How much of a challenge is it to come back from winter break and have the game that you have coming up against Bayern Munich to go from a kind of rest mode into one of the toughest tests you’ll have this season. And is there any extra kind of pressure to live up to some of the performances that you’ve had against Bayern Munich in recent years as a club?
Scally: “Yeah, I think it also benefits us because they’ve also had the break, they’ve had so many games. So even for them it’s more so they’re they’re also maybe slow getting into it which can help us a lot.
“In my first season, we played them the first game and we came out on fire. So I think it’s extra motivation for us. But at the same time, we’re home. We’re such a strong team at home and I think it’s always special when we play them.”
Which coach has had the biggest impact on your career thus far?
Scally: “It’s difficult to say. I’ve had so many coaches now, from MLS to here and the national team. So, of course, I think I’d have to say that my coach now, Gerardo Seoane. He’s taught me to play in different positions, and given me trust to full games for two seasons in a row now. And I think he’s definitely helped me with the defensive side of the game and the offensive side of the game.
“He’s shown me that I’m not only an outside back, I can also play center back so I think that’s something that I take a lot of pride in.”
You recently played your 100th game for Borussia Monchengladbach at such a young age. I put you in a class with a player like [former Gladbach footballer] Lothar Matthaus. You were born years after he was a star. How much did you know about Matthaus and his status in Germany, and also the history of Gladbach?
Scally: “I didn’t learn about it so much. Of course, I’ve heard of the players. I’ve seen highlights on YouTube and things like that, but I’m not so familiar with their stature and and who they are, I guess. Of course, the players told me when I saw it in the stats, things like that. I saw it and it definitely was special. But other than that, I really don’t know much.”
Return of the original Klassiker
You guys have a lot of success playing Bayern Munich. And there’s always so much talk about Bayern against Dortmund being the Klassiker, of course, but there’s some of us who are old enough to remember that the actual Klassiker is Bayern against Gladbach. Are you aware of that history? And what is it that makes makes it such a big game for Gladbach? Why is it that you always turn up for this kind of kind of game and always make it difficult for Bayern?
Scally: “Yeah, I’m not so familiar with the history of it. I just know both are such historic old clubs who have won a lot of trophies in the past and Bayern, of course, now winning still in the present. But yes, as players you always get up for these type of games, and you always want to showcase yourself to prove that you can play with the best players in the world. And I think so far it has played to our favor. You know, we’ve always turned up for these games and I think that’s it. I think everyone’s just extra motivated.”
Playing under Mauricio Pochettino
What’s it been like under Mauricio Pochettino so far? What has he said to you, where does he see you, how does the way he want you to play different than than other coaches in the past?
And then you mentioned playing left back. I know you’ve done that a couple times already this year. Jedi was named the top us player last year but it feels like it’s an open competition behind him. How much will that help you being able to switch sides with the national team in a pinch if necessary?
Scally: “To your first question, it’s amazing for the team to have such a high quality coach like him who was coached such great teams and great players. So it’s it’s something for us that we can really look up to and fight to earn his trust and fight to play for the national team and try and achieve great things. So far, he’s instilled in us that we are America, one of the best countries in the world. So we have to have that fighting spirit that we can go out and pretty much win every game.
“And then on the flip side, when I’m playing left back, it’s always helped me with playing games… being on rosters, different things like that of course. First, I’m a right back. With the national team, I’ve played right center back in a three [at the back] the last couple games. So for me, I’m more focused on the right side and basically staying there and playing games there like the last two years.
“So not so much focused on the left but if I ever need to be I will of course be there in a second.”
I think the last time we had one of these calls was the spring or summer of 2023 and you talked about what happened in Qatar [World Cup 2022], and how it affected you being on the bench, not getting a minute and and not understanding perhaps why that had come about. Do you feel that the communication around the national team, and with the coaching setup that you’ve got now is a little bit better that you kind of understand decisions are being taken and also why?
Scally: “We’ve only had two camps with Pochettino. So it’s still everyone getting used to it, of course. There’s still a year and a half until the World Cup, but things are are still getting underway. We’re still all understanding how we’re going communicate things like that but everything is is going in the right direction. Yeah, you see the way we’ve been playing. Everyone has so much confidence.
“The coach has talked to all of us individually and told us what he likes in any transition and everything like that. So it’s definitely everything’s on the right path.”
One of the best fanbases in the world
I was at the RB Leipzig-Gladbach game back in November, the nil-nil draw. And one of the things that really kind of caught me by surprise was how hardcore the Gladbach supporters were for the first 20 minutes of the match. They didn’t say anything. No banners, no flags. It was basically just whistling as a form of protest against RB Leipzig.
I was just wondering from your perspective what’s it like playing in front of those Gladbach fans. It seemed like old school hardcore fans compared to other fan bases that are a little bit more family-friendly.
Scally: “Yeah, I think we have one of the best fanbases in the world. I mean, our last game before the Christmas break, we played Hoffenheim away and it felt like a home game. We had so many supporters there and so many fans, so I think it’s definitely special to always play in front of this crowd who always feels like they’re doing more than us on the field. They are always jumping and singing for 90 minutes straight, so it’s extra special at home, they give us extra motivation and I think you can see that with the results.”
German culture clash
A couple of years ago, there was a story in the German press that you had noticed in Germany that when the pedestrian light was red, even if there weren’t any cars, Germans wouldn’t cross the street.
Have you noticed any other things about living in Germany and German culture and just being a different country that were a challenge for you to adjust to? And if you ever leave Germany, if you ever moved somewhere else, is there something about Germany that you think you’d miss in particular?
Scally: “Definitely another thing, especially now, that’s on my mind — even after going home for the 10 days — is the weather. Now, as I’m getting older, it’s starting to like really be like ‘This is terrible.’ You wake up in the morning, the sun is not up. It’s raining all day and then you come home from training, the sun is down. So when I was in New York for the for the winter break, it was cold, of course, maybe even colder than here, but the the sun was out.
“You have to get over it and look forward to the summers, but definitely the winters are tough.”
Anything that you would miss when you’re not in Germany?
Scally: “Yeah, I think just the way the German people treat the cities. I live in Dusseldorf and it’s very clean. I don’t think you get this in most places where everyone is very respectful towards the way the city is and the infrastructure. I think, that’s something I’ll definitely miss.”
Photo credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos / Getty Images