Dax McCarty’s MLS career comes to a bittersweet end

ORLANDO, Fla. — Dax McCarty’s No. 13 went up in red on the fourth official’s substitution board in the 69th minute of Atlanta United MLS Eastern Conference playoffs match at Orlando. His team trailed 1-0, which is how the match ended.

That was it on McCarty’s career. Nineteen seasons in MLS. More than 40,000 minutes played … 40,508 in regular season and playoff matches. Twenty-eight days of soccer.

“It made sense tactically, but it hurt for sure, coming out of the game, knowing we were down 1-0, and wanting to make a difference, wanting to help us get back in the game, and wanting to give absolutely every ounce of energy that I had,” he said. “I had a little bit more to give, but that’s soccer, and that’s competing.”

McCarty implied that his decision won’t change. He said he had already cried his tears when he came to the conclusion and announced in August that this season would be it.

That it ended without a trophy … McCarty said was bittersweet.

“You don’t really know how to feel,” he said. “Gratitude, mostly, but of course really disappointed it didn’t end the way we all wanted it to end, which was with a trophy. And we really started to believe, and we did believe it could happen.”

His final line: 72 minutes, 34 seconds, 84.1% passing accuracy, one successful tackle, five times he won possession. He said it was a typical McCarty line.

McCarty’s journey started at Dallas before continuing at D.C. United, Red Bulls, Chicago and Nashville. McCarty signed with Atlanta United as a free agent before this season.

McCarty yo-yoed in and out of the starting lineup under Gonzalo Pineda and then Rob Valentino. McCarty expressed some professional frustration that he wasn’t playing more.

Valentino turned to McCarty in the playoffs and he delivered, helping Atlanta United upset Inter Miami in the first round.

“Someone that instantly commands respect, somebody that probably even more so than others, because he’s been in a bunch of other lockers, right?” Guzan said of McCarty. “He’s seen a lot of personalities and whatnot. And so, when you have someone like that, that one, knows the league, but then two, that knows kind of how Major League Soccer locker rooms work and how they go and how they tick …”

As McCarty walked off the field for the final time, the more than 40 family members who were there applauded. McCarty grew up in nearby Winter Park.

“You look up in the stands and it ends where it began with my family around, and my parents there and my brother there, and some of my best friends I grew up with there, and my kids there, and I think just really felt a lot of gratitude in the moment and a lot of pride,” he said.

For more content about Atlanta United

Follow me on Twitter/X @DougRobersonAJC

On Facebook at Atlanta United News Now

On Instagram at DouglasDavidRoberson

Atlanta United coverage on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Southern Fried Soccer podcast can be found

Apple — https://apple.co/3ISD6Ve

Spotify — https://spoti.fi/3L8TN0C

Google podcasts — https://bit.ly/32KlZW3

If you are going to listen to the podcast for the first time, please follow it on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts … and if you like what you hear, please give us a good rating so we can grow the show. If you have questions about the MLS team, you can email Doug Roberson at droberson@ajc.com, DM him on Twitter @dougrobersonajc or call 404-526-2527.

Stay up to date every day on breaking news, in-depth investigations, politics, sports, entertainment, food and dining and so much more by becoming a subscriber to the AJC. Go to AJC.com/start for a very special offer and unlock hundreds of original articles published daily on the refreshed AJC.com and the new AJC mobile app. Plus, access to our news alerts, subscriber-only events, AJC original shows, films and videos, newsletters, and so much more.

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