“‘Could it really come down to a golf cart ride?’ – Tony Meola questions Joe Scally’s USMNT omission under Pochettino”

Former U.S. goalkeeper Tony Meola has questioned Borussia Mönchengladbach defender Joe Scally’s exclusion from Mauricio Pochettino’s U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) squad for the October friendlies, suggesting the decision might involve factors beyond on-field performance.

Surprising omission

Scally, who has been a consistent starter in the Bundesliga with five starts in six games and two assists, was expected to make the roster. Speaking on CBS Sports Golazo, Meola admitted he was puzzled:

“Joe Scally, that’s the one that surprises me. This has been a merit-based roster. Joe Scally plays week in and week out in the Bundesliga. And I’m getting the sense that, could it really come down to a golf cart ride in the end?”

Meola appeared to reference Pochettino’s comments from May, when the coach criticized players who arrived at national team camps more focused on leisure—such as golf, dinners, or family visits—rather than total commitment.

Culture over form?

Meola suggested that Scally’s omission might be cultural rather than tactical:

“Maybe that’s a sign for a manager that says, ‘this guy is not good enough for my locker room.’ I don’t know. But if he doesn’t come in November, even while playing consistently at his club, maybe we can start to see he’s just not a Mauricio Pochettino guy.”

Lack of clarity from Pochettino

Meola also criticized Pochettino’s refusal to fully address why Scally and Atalanta midfielder Yunus Musah were left out, pointing out that it’s standard practice for coaches to justify roster decisions.

“His answer’s a little bit odd to me. We’ve seen managers—including Pochettino—explain decisions before. This time, he just said it’s time to focus on the guys who are here. That surprised me.”

Musah’s case more understandable

While he defended Scally, Meola admitted Musah’s omission made sense due to his slow adaptation at Atalanta.

“I’m not surprised about Yunus Musah. He hasn’t fully settled in at Atalanta yet. He’s still got some work to do, even though he’s getting some minutes.”