Dax McCarty knows USMNT fate tied to turning around Chicago Fire
Dax McCarty was the captain of one of the best teams in MLS. He was beloved by the New York Red Bulls fans and widely regarded a linchpin of a team that was a contender to take home MLS Cup. But then it was all gone -- New York had traded him to the Chicago Fire, one of the worst teams in the league.
McCarty's move shocked the MLS community, and the player himself. He was firmly entrenched at Red Bull, he was club captain, and he had just gotten married, expecting to move forward in New York with the team he'd been a part of for the past five and a half years. He wasn't shy about expressing his disappointment in how it all went down, but he also may be the perfect man for the Fire. After all, when he showed up in New York, the Red Bulls were one of the worst teams in MLS and he helped orchestrate their turnaround.
Of course, when he went from D.C. United to New York to help change things at the Red Bulls, he was joining a team with Thierry Henry and other veterans, but that's what taught him how to lead and now he's taking those lessons to Chicago.
"I went from a club [DC United] where I was looked at to be a big leader, and a part of this big revolution of young players, and had a big role in the team, and I went to a team [RBNY] that already had established world-class players that already had leadership roles," says McCarty. "So I had to go from being a big part of a team, being a big leader on a team, to kind of being a secondary player, being a role player on the Red Bulls. So, that was a big transition for me, but it was good for me as a young kid to go through that so I could learn from it."
The Fire have only been to the playoffs once since 2009, a record of futility that's especially astonishing in a league where parity reigns. But they've made massive changes this offseason. They've added Nemanja Nikolic as a Designated Player up top and Jorge Bava in goal, but the biggest changes have come in the midfield. Not only did Chicago add McCarty, but they signed Juninho as his partner, positioning them go from a team with one of the worst midfields in MLS to potentially one of the best.
But for all the talent Chicago have added, a lot of the work left to do has nothing to do with talent. That is where McCarty can help change things and establish the culture that he was part of creating in New York.
"I firmly believe that a team that enjoys each other’s company -- not just in the locker room, but off the field as well -- is a team that’s going to be a successful team," explained McCarty. "I think, once you get to know guys a little bit more off the field, you can kind of understand how they tick, and how they go about their business on the field."
The reality is that MLS is a unique league. The post-season playoffs change the entire approach to one where it's the end of the season that matters most; it's about building to that point, rather than maintaining consistent form throughout. You can't get too high or low early in the season. So while Nikolic and Bava may be terrific players, they have to adjust to those MLS eccentricities. And the returning Fire players, most of whom have never played in the postseason, don't know that either.
That's where someone like McCarty can be so valuable.
"You learn that MLS is the type of league where a couple positive results or a couple negative results one way or another, it’s not going to break your season. So, you need to stay positive, you need to just keep grinding away, because no teams in MLS usually pull away from the pack too early.
"That’s something I learned early on in my Red Bulls career, and obviously I’m hoping to take those experiences with me, and help the Fire win games."
It's impossible to understate how important a leader like McCarty is to a team like the Fire trying to change their fortunes. Not only can his know-how and experience help get them wins, but he can be the man who sets the attitude that the young players pick up on and develop for the future. He can be the example that Henry was to him and the rest of the Red Bulls when he showed up in New York.
The Fire didn't trade for him just so he could be a leader, though. They also need him to play, and play he can.
It was the work McCarty has done on the field, breaking up play and dictating tempo, pinging the ball around and sparking transition, that earned him a call-up to the United States national team in January after all.
"A big personal goal of mine is obviously to be involved with the national team, and now that Bruce Arena is in charge, I kind of feel like myself and a lot of other players have a new lease on life."
McCarty was one of several MLS players who got back into the national team for the first time in a while under Arena. In McCarty's case, it had been six years, with Jurgen Klinsmann never giving him a cap despite the never-ending praise that was heaped upon the midfielder from around MLS.
As for his USMNT future? It all depends on how McCarty plays with the Fire.
"I feel like my performances with Chicago will go a long way towards determining if I’m a part of the national team. So, I’m highly motivated to help Chicago win because I’m a big believer that players that play for the national team should be a part of winning teams."
If the way that McCarty has played for the last five years are any indication, playing at a high level won't be a problem for McCarty. The bigger challenge will be turning the Fire into a winner, and that's where his leadership comes into play. But you would be hard-pressed to find another player in MLS better equipped for the job McCarty has been handed in Chicago. It's one he did in New York and if he can do it again, this time in a Fire shirt, he'll also get to pull that U.S. jersey on again.
