Dax Tapped for World Cup Qualifiers

Chicago Fire captain and midfielder Dax McCarty received a national team call-up from head coach Bruce Arena on Sunday for the United States’ World Cup qualifiers in June.

The United States currently find themselves in fourth place in CONCACAF’s Hexagonal, earning just four points in their first four matches. ESPN’s Soccer Power Index still gives the Stars and Stripes an 82 percent chance of qualifying for next summer’s tournament in Russia.

After a friendly match against Venezuela on June 3, the United States will host Trinidad and Tobago on June 8 in Denver. Following that, they will head to the most hostile environment in the Hex, the Estadio Azteca, to face Mexico on June 11.

The Fire will certainly miss McCarty’s presence when he’s gone, as he’ll be out for matches against playoff contenders Orlando City and Atlanta United. Chicago’s captain has played every minute of their 13 matches so far, recording 3 assists and helping instill a sense of swagger that this team has sorely missed in recent years.

Juninho, with his wealth of experience, should be able to seamlessly take his place in the starting 11. General Manager Nelson Rodriguez and Head Coach Veljko Paunovic are no doubt thankful they spent money on high-quality depth this season.

The entire USMNT squad called up by Bruce Arena can be seen here.