Atlanta United’s Dax McCarty contributes to wins, adds facial hair in playoff run

Dax McCarty, rocking a developing playoff beard that he jokingly said his wife doesn’t appreciate, hopes to go full ZZ Top in the last playoff push of his 19-year career in MLS.

If what now is patchy gets the time to become a face full of red hair, it may be because of McCarty’s contributions in Atlanta United’s midfield. He was a key starter in the three-match first-round playoff upset against Inter Miami, contributing two assists in the decisive third game. They were his first starts in six matches.

McCarty said he was asked by interim manager Rob Valentino to do what he has done throughout a career that will end whenever Atlanta United’s playoff run is done and his razor comes out: sit in the midfield and link defense to offense. McCarty’s two impactful plays in Game 3 were his pass to Jamal Thiare for Atlanta United’s first goal and his pass to Alexey Miranchuk, who squared it to Thiare, for the second goal.

“I think it’s just a good lesson for our whole team, that Rob is going to rely on every guy on this roster, and you never know when your chance is going to come again,” McCarty said. “I talked a little bit about how it’s been a little bit of a mental roller coaster for me personally, the last especially the last month. When the team is playing with confidence and when the team is playing well, it’s easy for everyone to look good. And so I felt really good and comfortable in the Miami series. And obviously it felt great to win that series.”

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McCarty said this season has been odd for many reasons. Among them are that usually he has been on teams that lock down playoff spots much earlier in the regular season, but things haven’t worked out for them in the postseason. McCarty has yet to play on a team that has won an MLS Cup.

Atlanta United did it differently this season, and that it is going back to Florida for its next playoff match is fortuitous for McCarty. He was born and grew up in Winter Park. He had about 50 family members at the Decision Day match at Orlando because it seemed likely that it was going to be the last match of his career. Atlanta United won and got two other results it needed to make the playoffs as the ninth and final seed.

McCarty said there should be between 40-50 family members at Sunday’s match, but he said he’s already had to tell a few that comp tickets aren’t available, but ticket prices are very reasonable.

“I know still have a lot of lot of great memories and a lot of great connections down in that state, and obviously it’s where my family is,” he said. “So I’ve enjoyed this last month immensely.”

This will be Atlanta United’s last match in Florida this season. If they advance, the Five Stripes would play in the Eastern Conference final in New York. The MLS Cup will be played in Los Angeles, Seattle or Minnesota. If Atlanta United gets to play for its second championship, it will give McCarty three more weeks for his beard to fill-in.

McCarty thinks the team has a chance.

“The team is, I think, playing the best that it’s played all season,” he said. “The mood in training is awesome. Everyone’s excited to come to work every day and get better.”

None of McCarty’s teammates seem to be following his lead by growing their beards.

“They’re just kind of like, you know Dax, the weird old guy growing his beard out,” McCarty said. “I don’t know what he’s doing.”

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Atlanta United’s 2024 schedule

Feb. 24 Columbus 1, Atlanta United 0

March 9 Atlanta United 4, New England 1

March 17 Atlanta United 2, Orlando 0

March 23 Toronto 2, Atlanta United 0

March 31 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 0

April 6 Atlanta United 1, NYCFC 1

April 14 Atlanta United 2, Philadelphia 2

April 20 Cincinnati 2, Atlanta United 1

April 27 Atlanta United 1, Chicago 1

May 4 Minnesota 2, Atlanta United 1

May 7 Atlanta United 3, Charlotte Independence 0 in U.S. Open Cup