Welcome to the scuff podcast where we talk about U.S. soccer.

Welcome to the scuffed podcast.

Sanjay here, and I'm joined by Barisha Munchin-Gladvak and U.S. Men's National Team Defender Joe Scali. Joe, thanks for coming on.

Thanks for having me.

So you're only 22 and you're closing in on 10,000 Moondis League of Career Minutes.

That's a massive achievement. How'd you do it?

Yeah, I mean, it's crazy to hear. I never knew that.

But, yeah, it's definitely a massive achievement.

I think it's consistency.

It's consistency kind of in everything I do.

I mean, from work on the field to work off the field,

I do so much to keep my body right, to keep my mental state right,

to perform well on the field.

So obviously, the numbers don't lie when you kind of are consistently playing, playing good.

Almost every game, it doesn't, I mean, it adds up.

That off-the-field stuff, were you always someone who took that super seriously?

Or did you have to learn when you were in Germany?

Did you have to, like, adjust quickly to?

I think I definitely kind of took a series when I had hip hip surgery I think when I was 15 I think around then that's kind of when I started taking more serious and understanding from older guys on on Globbach or at NYCFC that you can't just kind of step onto the field your whole life and then be able to to train you guys do some work in the gym and kind of get your body right also food wise that was a massive thing for me so that's right

you were eating junk before yeah a little bit i was living at home so kind of whatever my mom's cooked

it's not like she's gonna you know i also had a brother and sister who let's say didn't

really like salmon or some kind of healthierish food which you know i I also had a brother and sister who, let's say, didn't really like salmon or some kind of healthier-ish food, which, you know, I wasn't going to make them change that.

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