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Madison Pogarch is the answer to a trivia question: Who was the first player acquired by San Diego Wave FC in an in-season trade?
Pogarch joined up with San Diego in late-July, traded from the Portland Thorns for Tegan McGrady. It was a bit of a surprising move, McGrady had been strong, if occasionally inconsistent, as a fullback, but Pogarch wasn’t a starter in Portland herself. She is capable of playing both left and right back, so that versatility can certainly be useful at that position.
After arriving, Pogarch ended up playing just over 300 minutes with San Diego, mostly off the bench.
Here are Pogarch’s stats with San Diego in 2022:
Madison Pogarch San Diego Wave FC 2022 Statistics
| 2022 | Games Played | Games Started | Minutes | Goals | Assists | Shots | SOG | Yellow Cards | Red Cards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Games Played | Games Started | Minutes | Goals | Assists | Shots | SOG | Yellow Cards | Red Cards |
| Challenge Cup | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Regular Season | 6 | 3 | 297 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Playoffs | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 8 | 3 | 301 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
The best game for Pogarch in a Wave FC kit was unquestionably the 2-0 road win over the Thorns in the regular season. It was San Diego’s best regular season game, period, and Pogarch played a central role against her old team, putting an imprint on the game in a way we didn’t otherwise see.
Her profile is that of a two-way fullback, albeit not one with a great deal of production in goals or assists. She can certainly set up a goal, although she didn’t with San Diego in limited minutes, but I think she plays a useful role as a fullback who helps push the ball upfield. San Diego’s attack certainly plays outside-in from time to time and she can help mix up Wave FC’s attacking approach with that. At the same time, her defense is solid — she balances kind of on the edge between “above average” to “quite good.” It’s conceivable she could play her way to getting regular starter minutes moving forward, if she refines a bit and takes a step up in her game.
Pogarch is out of contract but has been offered a contract for 2023 by San Diego, and I would be surprised if she does not re-sign with the club. At minimum, she can remain a rotational player, but again, I think it’s possible she makes a run for a larger role if she can make a step up. Just 25, she’s entering her prime and seems likely to remain a part of San Diego’s squad moving forward. We’ll see.
What do you think? Leave a comment below.
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