Aaron Long said Joe Scally’s (above) debut was “great.” (© Amanda Rossmann / USA TODAY NETWORK)
By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor
It was only 45 minutes, but Joe Scally’s international debut got a thumb’s up from his teammates.
Scally, who replaced Antonee Robinson at left back at halftime of the U.S. men’s national team’s 3-0 friendly win over Morocco in Cincinnati on Wednesday, could get his first international start in Sunday’s match against Uruguay in Kansas City, Kansas.
That depends on the availability of Robinson.
“We are waiting on the fitness of Antonee Robinson,” U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter said during a Saturday Zoom call with the media. “If he won’t play, then Joe Scally will start.”
A Lake Grove, N.Y. native and a former member of New York City FC, Scally acquitted himself well in his first full international match.
“It was great,” center back Aaron Long said. “I think defensively had some really good moments, tracking back and winning duels against a really talented right wing back on the day and then going forward, he created a couple of plays.
“It’s just about getting a little bit more comfortable with the group and finding ways to kind of change things up tactically for him on the ball. We’re all going to work with him and help him on that. But overall, I think it was a really, really good debut and he should be really happy with his performance. I know the team is.”
Scally, 19, plays for Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Bundesliga.
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