Football NewsJoe Scally opened his Bundesliga account against Wolfsburg
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Scally, 18, has made a brilliant start to the 2021-22 season, his second in Germany. He now looks to have established himself as a fixture in the Gladbach line-up, and big things are expected of the teenage full-back.

Scally’s goal sealed a 3-1 victory for Gladbach

Borussia Monchengladbach’s United States youth international Joe Scally opened his Bundesliga account on Saturday with a late strike to clear his side against Wolfsburg. Scally, 18, has made a brilliant start to the 2021-22 season, his second in Germany. He now looks to have established himself as a fixture in the Gladbach line-up, and big things are expected of the teenage full-back. Saturday’s clash was deep into injury time when Scally made his mark. Playing on the left, the youngster took advantage of sloppy Wolfsburg passing and broke clean through before converting his chance past goalkeeper Koen Casteels. That goal sealed a 3-1 victory for the visitors, who had struck earlier through Breel Embolo and Jonas Hofmann.

Joe was rewarded in August with Gladbach’s Player of the Month award

Scally, who played for the club’s second-string side in Regionalliga West during the first half of the year after completing his move from New York City FC in January, has now completed 90 minutes in all seven of their Bundesliga matches so far in 2021-22, making a big impression with his performances. He was rewarded in August with Gladbach’s Player of the Month award and, while he has not received a USMNT call-up yet, the youngster is likely to feature in Gregg Berhalter’s plans soon if he continues to progress. The Lake Grove, New York native certainly faced a baptism of fire in the Bundesliga. His debut came against none other than champions Bayern Munich, but Scally and Gladbach managed to hold on for a laudable 1-1 draw, the club’s only dropped points in the campaign to date.

“You get the schedule, and you see Bayern Munich first game, and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, this is a game I want to play’,” he said. “So when I found that I was playing the night before, my family was here, my girlfriend, so they really helped take my mind off the game, calm down my nerves and things like that. But when you’re out on the field, you’re out there; you can’t be nervous. Like you’re going against Lewandowski, Sane, all these guys that you watch. You know it’s something that can make your career and make you known forever.”