OBETZ, Ohio – Emanuel Pogatetz has played in top leagues in England, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Russia. Nicknamed “Mad Dog,” the defender has served as captain of the Austrian national team, earning more than 60 caps in his career.
But in MLS, Pogatetz isn’t guaranteed a spot in the starting lineup for Columbus Crew SC – and that hasn’t been easy for the defender.
He took to his Facebook page Sunday to express his frustration with being rested in the club’s 2-1 loss to the Montreal Impact Saturday, claiming that he was fit enough to play and that head coach Gregg Berhalter and the club did not “value and respect my experience.”
The pair cleared the air before Monday’s training session, but the situation seems to speak to a larger misconception around the league. In MLS, playing time isn’t guaranteed, even for stars. And between travel, weather, scheduling and off-field demands, some aren’t prepared for what they encounter in the US.
“I think people don’t appreciate how difficult it is to play in MLS,” Berhalter said. “I think they have the perception that it’s not a top league because of the history – obviously it hasn’t been here long. … But when you look at the intensity of the games, they’re tough games to play in. I think that’s underappreciated.”
Crew SC captain Michael Parkhurst played in Denmark and Germany before returning to MLS, and said some don’t know what to expect in an MLS season.
“I think if you asked the majority of players who come over here, they’ll tell you the league is better or tougher than they thought it was,” he said. “Some of that is on the field stuff. Some of that is dealing with the travel, the heat, the speed on the field. You hear that it’s a physical league not so much for physical tackles, as far as the EPL, but you have less time on the ball. Teams, tactically, don’t allow you as much time on the ball. Every league has its own set of challenges, as does MLS.”
Pogatetz has spoken about his difficult adaptation at the end of 2014 as a new acquisition for Columbus. And he admitted that it’s taken some time to adjust to MLS demands.
“What I have to understand is that it’s a different league,” he said. “It’s not the same as the other leagues I’ve played in before. It’s a longer season; before, we always had breaks in between. It’s also, sometimes, a different environment.”
One of those differences in environment comes between the individual players. After starting on the bench for two of Crew SC's last three matches, Pogatetz seemed to assume that his spot was in jeopardy. That attitude, he said, comes from being burned by the dog-eat-dog nature of European clubs.
“In Germany, especially, when you’re out of the team, it’s sometimes very difficult,” he said. “Someone else steps up and probably takes your place. It happened to me before – you’re out for five or 10 games and you’re not getting back in the team. Here, it’s more about the team. Everyone has to play a part.”
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Parkhurst said he’s seen the same attitude in his experience.
“Over there, guys are more individually based,” he said. “It’s, ‘How can I move up the ladder, get sold to a bigger team?’ Here, it’s more about the team and not having that ego. That can be tough on some guys. You have to fit well in the locker room.”
And even with the right attitude, Parkhurst said MLS “challenges” can be hard on new players.
“The travel is so much different than a lot of European countries; obviously they don’t play in the summer,” he said. “A lot of the European countries aren’t as hot and humid. You’re not going from playing in 50 degrees in Montreal to 90 degrees on turf in Orlando. Those are real challenges for some guys to adapt to. It can be difficult; it takes a positive mindset and a willingness to win and be part of the team.”
For Berhalter, the situation is simply evidence of the depth necessary to maintain a successful MLS side.
“We have a guy who’s in the Austrian national team pool that we’re rotating through,” he said. “That shows the competition in these teams, and I think that’s a good thing. I don’t think it’s a bad thing.”
