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Lake Grove’s Joe Scally is World Cup bound.
The young defender will be part of the 26-man roster the U.S. will be sending to Qatar this month for the 2022 World Cup, the national team announced today.
The soccer phenom from Sachem North High School is the youngest player on the team at 19 years and 313 days. The national team overall is filled with young talent, with two other 19-year-olds in midfielder Yunus Musah (19 years and 345 days) and winger Giovanni Reyna (19 years and 361 days).
Being a teenager on a pro team isn’t anything new for Scally.
In 2018, he became the second youngest player to sign with a MLS team when he joined New York City FC at 15 years old.
From there, his career continued to blossom, eventually joining German team Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga. This was his first goal with the squad:
Effort levels = 💯
— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) October 6, 2021
A first #Bundesliga goal for @JJScally_10, one he'll never forget. 🇺🇸 👏 pic.twitter.com/gziBw9oe3r
Scally got first action with the senior U.S. national team last year, which included a match against Morocco last October. He has three caps with the team in total.
Here’s what CBS Sports’ Roger Gonzalez had to say about Scally’s talent: “Promising young defender who embraces a challenge. Barely used under [USMNT head coach Gregg] Berhalter, but he’s young and with his entire career ahead of him.”
The World Cup officially kicks off Nov. 20.
The team is expecting big things after stunningly missing out on the tournament in 2018.
“We are excited to take this group to compete in the 2022 FIFA World Cup,” Berhalter said. “We believe we have a talented group, a strong team spirit, and one that is ready to compete. We are extremely proud and honored to represent the United States and appreciate all the amazing support from our fans as we head to Qatar.”
The USMNT schedule for the Group Stage is the following:
- U.S. vs. Wales, Nov. 21 at 2 p.m.
- U.S. vs. England, Nov. 25 at 2 p.m.
- U.S. vs Iran, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m.
Only two teams from the group will advance to the next round.
Top: United States defender Joe Scally (29) plays during the second half of a friendly soccer match against Morocco, Wednesday, June 1, 2022, in Cincinnati.
