NASHVILLE — Last fall, as the curtain fell on his 11th pro season, Dax McCarty took comfort in his place in the soccer world.
He had come to terms with the fact that his U.S. national team career, what there was of it, wasn’t going anywhere. He would pour all efforts into MLS causes, strengthening his bond with the New York Red Bulls after 5 1/2 years and continue chasing an elusive league trophy.
The winter break would allow him to recharge and, with a wedding date approaching, take his mind off a sport that had fueled him since childhood in central Florida.