Dax McCarty recognizes that he no longer is an everyday player, but after signing with Atlanta United, he said he is going to try to make it difficult for manager Gonzalo Pineda to leave him out of the starting lineup.
The team announced the signing of McCarty, a 36-year-old free-agent midfielder, on Tuesday.
McCarty, formerly of Nashville, has made 496 appearances in MLS regular-season and playoff games. His contract is for one season with an option for 2025.
McCarty said he spoke with Brad Guzan and former Atlanta United broadcaster Dan Gargan, among others, about the club before signing. He said it was one of just a handful of teams that he would have considered signing with because his goal is to win at least one MLS Cup before his career ends, and he said Atlanta United is a true contender for the MLS Cup.
“I’ve had conversations with with people that I trust, and especially with my wife, I always told her look, ‘The minute I feel like I can’t contribute to a team in a positive way on the field, I’m going to walk away,’” he said. “I don’t care about any appearance records. I just care about contributing in a positive way to a team that’s winning because that’s what I value over everything else. And so Atlanta United was the perfect fit.”
Among the topics discussed in free-agent conversations was McCarty’s leadership, a skill honed over his career. McCarty said he will be an on-field leader in the mold of past Five Stripes players Jeff Larentowicz and Ozzie Alonso. McCarty played almost 1,898 minutes for the Coyotes last season.
“Dax has been one of the most consistent midfielders throughout his distinguished career in MLS,” Atlanta United Vice President Carlos Bocanegra said in a statement from the club. “Dax is a competitor and will bring a good mentality and leadership to our team. He has continued to prove over the last couple of seasons that he plays at a high level consistently, and we are excited to welcome him and his family to Atlanta.”
Atlanta United has had issues for several seasons making in-game adjustments, as well as game management, particularly defensive transitions. McCarty said those are things he has also seen in past Atlanta United teams and are areas in which he can help.
“I’ll be sure to make sure that if things are going well, all the players on the field and continue to try to take advantage of the things that we are doing well and that we’re taking advantage of the other team,” he said. “When things aren’t going well, you have to be able to adjust and you have to be able to relay information from a coach to a player to everybody else on the field. So that’s really important and valuable and definitely something that I think I can help out with.”
McCarty’s addition is expected to be followed with the signing of Norwegian centerback Stian Gregersen. The team already has signed goalkeeper Josh Cohen as it looks to rebuild a defense that ranked among the worst in MLS last season.
The club also is expected to soon announce the loan of midfielder Franco Ibarra to Rosario Central and Santiago Sosa to Racing Club.
Atlanta United roster (as of Tuesday)
Goalkeepers (3): Josh Cohen, Brad Guzan and Quentin Westberg.
Defenders (8): Luis Abram, Noah Cobb, Ronald Hernández, Brooks Lennon, Aiden McFadden, Efraín Morales, Caleb Wiley and Derrick Williams.
Midfielders (11): Thiago Almada, Derrick Etienne Jr., Nick Firmino, Ajani Fortune, Franco Ibarra*, Saba Lobjanidze, Edwin Mosquera, Tristan Muyumba, Santiago Sosa*, Adyn Torres, Tyler Wolff
Forwards (5): Luke Brennan, Erik Centeno, Giorgos Giakoumakis, Xande Silva, Jamal Thiaré
* Going on loan
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Atlanta United’s 2024 schedule
Feb. 24 at Columbus, 2 p.m.
March 9 vs. New England, 7:30 p.m.
March 17 vs. Orlando, 7 p.m., FS1
March 23 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
March 31 vs. Chicago, 3:30 p.m., FOX
April 6 at NYCFC, 7:30 p.m.
April 14 vs. Philadelphia, 2:30 p.m., FOX
April 20 vs. Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
April 27 at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
May 4 vs. Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.
May 11 vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
May 15 at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
May 18 at Nashville, 1:30 p.m.
May 25 vs. LAFC, 7:30 p.m.
May 29 at Miami, 7:30 p.m.
June 2 vs Charlotte, 4:30 p.m., FOX
June 15 vs. Houston, 7:30 p.m.
June 19 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
June 22 at St. Louis, 8:30 p.m.
June 29 vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
July 3 at New England, 7:30 p.m.
July 6 at Real Salt Lake, 9:30 p.m.
July 13 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
July 17 vs. NYCFC, 7:30 p.m.
July 20 vs. Columbus, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 24 at L.A. Galaxy, 10:30 p.m.
Aug. 31 at Charlotte, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 14 vs. Nashville, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 18 vs. Miami, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 18 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 2 vs. Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5 vs. Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 at Orlando, 6 p.m.
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