Via Last Word On Soccer, by John Bava
Dax McCarty‘s tenure with the New York Red Bulls is coming to an end.
The defensive midfielder was traded to the Chicago Fire on Monday according to Paul Tenorio who initially reported on the story. McCarty spent the previous six seasons with the Red Bulls.
RBNY have traded captain Dax McCarty to Chicago Fire for $400k in allocation money, per source with knowledge. https://t.co/I41Tclowke pic.twitter.com/GmkWV6DBj1
— Paul Tenorio (@PaulTenorio) January 16, 2017
New York Red Bulls Trade Dax McCarty to Chicago Fire
In return, New York will receive a total of $400,000 in general allocation money. The sum will be paid in two $200,000 installments over the course of the next two years.
Over the course of his time with the club, McCarty became a beloved figure among fans for his leadership, dynamic play and work ethic. Current head coach Jesse Marsch named him team captain upon taking over the club beginning in 2015. Since then, the Red Bulls finished with the Eastern Conference’s best regular season record two seasons running. They also won the Supporters’ Shield last year.
Counting the regular season and playoffs, McCarty scored 15 goals and added 28 assists. But it’s his industriousness as a number six that truly made him stand out. The 29-year-old totaled 145 combined tackles and interceptions in 2015. That total was second on the team behind only Felipe.
Early Career
McCarty’s MLS career began in 2006 with FC Dallas after the team picked him in the first round of the SuperDraft. He spent five seasons there before getting taken by the Portland Timbers in the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft. Not soon thereafter, DC United acquired him in exchange for allocation money.
His time in DC would be short-lived. After just 13 appearances, he was traded to the team’s Atlantic Cup rivals in the Red Bulls for Dwayne De Rosario.
Though his senior international experience is limited, McCarty figured prominently for the US at youth level. This included a stint with the under-20s at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. The US won their group and made it to the quarterfinals.
He has only five caps with the full US men’s national team. But he may be due for an expanded role for his country. New American manager Bruce Arena called McCarty into the squad for their annual January camp.
In summary, McCarty finishes his Red Bulls career with 198 appearances across all competitions. His impact with the club will undoubtedly be missed in Harrison. And the Fire are getting a player that, in combination with other shrewd acquisitions, has the potential to reverse a prolonged cycle of mediocrity.
