Ever since the 2014 World Cup concluded, it has seemed as if former Columbus Crew defender Giancarlo Gonzalez has constantly been in the news, either directly or indirectly. Until his eventual transfer to Serie A club Palermo became publicized on August 23, you got the feeling every top flight European club in need of a center back was willing to write a check for his services. After his departure for Italy, the discussion centered on whether or not the Crew would look to have someone on the existing roster take his place in the starting lineup or bring a comparable replacement into the side.
The latter will inevitably take place, as head coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter announced that the Crew have officially signed Austrian centerback Emanuel Pogatetz (pronounced POH-gah-tetz) on Tuesday. Although details of the financials have yet to be finalized, the length of the deal has been confirmed to be three and a half years and falls under the league’s Discovery Signing designation. It was initially reported on his own website that he would be made the 5th highest paid defender in the league, akin to around $315,000 per year in 2014, but that claim has since been removed.
In Pogatetz, the Black and Gold are getting a player with a wealth of experience plying his trade in many of Europe’s top leagues over the course of his professional career. The 31-year old native of Graz, Austria has made over 350 appearances with 11 clubs since his senior-level debut in 2000. His longest stint was with England’s Middlesbrough from 2005-10, a period which saw the team accomplish perhaps the greatest feat in its 138-year history, reaching the UEFA Cup Final in 2006 before falling to Spain’s Sevilla.
After his stay at “The Boro” where the team reached the highs of a European club final before eventually getting relegated to the League Championship a few years later, Pogotetz moved to the Bundesliga where he teamed up with United States defender Steve Cherundolo at Hannover 96. The club would finish fourth and seventh during his two seasons there, qualifying for UEFA Europa League competition in both years. Before joining the Crew, he had made 23 appearances with FC Nürnburg during the 2013-14 campaign in Germany’s top flight.
His international career with Austria began in 2002 and has included 61 caps, though in that span the national side only qualified for one major tournament and that was as co-hosts of Euro 2008 with Switzerland. He was named captain of the Austrians in 2009 but injuries limited his effectiveness over the course of his role in that capacity over the next two years or so, being replaced by current Schalke 04 defender Christian Fuchs.
Having a certain physical quality of play is the hallmark of anyone who’s part of a high-caliber back line, but let’s just say Pogatetz has always taken this to much higher level. It’s a prominent reason why he acquired the nickname “Mad Dog,” a moniker that precedes his reputation as someone who brings an element of ferocity to his game as a defender. Such a temperament has gotten him into trouble at times, both from the standpoint of injuring other players as well as himself.
Pogatetz received a three-match suspension in September of 2008 after a reckless challenge on Manchester United’s Rodrigo Possebon that caused the Brazilian to miss a month of action, even though the initial fear on the field was that Possebon broke his leg and would miss the remainder of the season. Two years earlier, during the quarterfinals of Middlesbrough’s previously discussed UEFA Cup run, the Mad Dog himself suffered a massive facial fracture while going for a header, suffering a broken nose, jaw and cheekbone. The injury required an extended recovery time due to fears that a second hard blow to the same area might permanently endanger his eyesight.
Among the qualities Berhalter likes in this newest acquisition is the sense of leadership he brings to the team. “This guy, I think is more of a person who can affect the culture of the club with his experience, his attitude and his mentality,” he said. Pogatetz should mesh well in terms of guiding some of the younger talent and helping them realize their potential. He had a similar role when it was announced that he would captain the Austrian national team. An Austrian Times story reporting the move back in 2009 stated that “his main job would be to help players who had received their first call-up.”
This latest development will most likely mean that Tyson Wahl will make one of his final starts at left centerback for the Crew when they travel to Houston on Saturday for another crucial matchup with playoff implications. Pogatetz still has to have details of his work visa finalized and so won’t be available for play until next weekend. That game has an even greater sense of intrigue as it will be the first of two clashes within a fortnight’s time between Columbus and Jermaine Jones’ New England Revolution squad in the midst of a resurgence in the Eastern Conference standings.
It should be noted that Pogatetz’s last competitive match was a friendly with the Czech Republic on June 3. As such, his immediate impact will probably be limited as he returns to match fitness level. Expect him to come off the bench to start, most likely replacing Wahl in the 2nd half in the Crew’s September games against New England and Montreal and possibly getting his first start in Foxborough on October 4 in the return match with the Revolution.
The Major League Soccer regular season continues to inch towards its conclusion, and Columbus continue to make moves in an attempt to solidify their status not only as a 2014 playoff contender but also a club with a long term plan for success in place. What’s interesting about the signing of Pogatetz is the fact that he appears to be looking at his arrival in the US as something longer than just the duration of his contract. In the post on his website detailing the move, he concludes by stating that after a year he will “have the opportunity to apply for a green-card, which will allow him and his family to stay permanently in the USA.”
Read what you want into that, but perhaps he sees coaching in his future, whether it be within the Crew organization, another MLS side, or maybe even helping United States head man Jurgen Klinsmann implement his vision for the national team and American soccer. Regardless, his presence in Columbus should make an already formidable defense even better as they pursue points on the road to the MLS playoffs.
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