So yes, the USA won its group by the skin of its teeth - thanks to a 3-0 smothering of Nicaragua in Cleveland this evening - but let’s get down to the real question, for our purposes here: Did our newfound but deeply appreciated captain Dax McCarty help himself in his quest to join America’s 23 next year in Russia?
And, well, ehhhhhhhhh, maybe?
To be certain, Dax’s performance - as well as that of the team as a whole - was superior to that of his previous start, in the opening group-stage match against Panama.