Ex-captain McCarty turns focus to own play
Dax McCarty returned to the D.C. United starting lineup last weekend without a subtle but significant part of his uniform.
After missing a pair of games with a groin injury and coming off the bench in the next two after that, McCarty reclaimed his central midfield role against Houston but not the captain’s armband that he had worn for the first 10 matches of the season.
“Coming into a new team, when we had that discussion, I told [D.C. United coach Ben Olsen] that I wanted that responsibility,” said McCarty, who had captained the U.S. national team in a friendly vs. Chile over the winter. “I really did. In retrospect, maybe I wasn’t quite ready for that, coming into a new team, being 23 and not really knowing what to expect.”
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While McCarty’s assumption of the leadership role since his offseason move from Dallas may have been admirable, perhaps his most pressing need is to refocus on his own game following a substandard start to the year for United (4-5-6).
“It’s not that big of a deal,” Olsen said. “While Dax was hurt, Josh [Wolff] kind of had [the captain’s job], and it was working. We talked to Dax, and he understands that right now it’s probably more important for him to be dealing on getting back from the injury and doing his stuff on the field.”
At his best, McCarty is a two-way player who can cover acres of space, disrupt the opposition and provide a spark to the attack. That last ability is desperately needed on a team that lacks a true central playmaker.
When McCarty is not on his game, as he has been much of this season, he has a tendency for making passes backward and getting caught in defensive positions far too deep to generate any offense.
But against the Dynamo, McCarty got his first assist in the run of play this season, tracking a ball on the left wing and working with Wolff to set up Chris Pontius for the game’s opening goal.
“Chris came back into the middle, and I kind of made a run into his space,” McCarty said. “We’ve been working on that in training, interchanging, making sure that I’m getting in good attacking positions.”
Without the distraction and pressure of managing the mood of team, McCarty can build on his 59 minutes in the Houston match, giving him the confidence to complement his natural leadership abilities.
“I need to start performing at the level that made the coaching staff and the ownership want to bring me in here,” McCarty said. “I take that pressure on myself. I’m my own toughest critic. I think tonight was a good starting point.”
