Football
Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondent 7y

Dax McCarty feels NY Red Bulls didn't show class in his trade to Chicago

Chicago Fire midfielder Dax McCarty expressed disappointment at the way his trade from the New York Red Bulls was handled by his former club.

McCarty was dealt to the Fire back on Jan. 16 in exchange for $400,000 in allocation money, thus ending a tenure that lasted parts of six seasons with the Red Bulls. McCarty indicated that it was Red Bulls manager Jesse Marsch who broke the news to him while the player was participating in the January camp for the U.S. national team.

It was a move that blindsided McCarty.

"I told [Marsch] to his face that I didn't think the way he handled it was appropriate, and it was certainly was a big surprise," McCarty said on a conference call with reporters. "I certainly thought the club could have gone about it in a little bit better way. But this is life in professional sport."

McCarty had to regroup quickly given his international commitments and he's since experienced a range of emotions.

"I was a little shocked, a little angry, a little sad realizing that your career is changing so drastically," he said. "And then just driven and focused to do well in national team camp and then excited about the opportunity to come to a new team, a team that clearly was very interested in signing me and acquiring my services."

Given that 24-year-old midfielder Sean Davis stepped in capably for McCarty last year when the Red Bulls captain was injured last August, the U.S. international stressed that he understood that a trade was a possibility, especially given his guaranteed compensation of $500,000. But the recently married McCarty added that his tenure with the team and status as captain should have given him some say in the matter.

McCarty said: "I do think that if you're a club that preaches family and preaches doing things the right way, and trying to treat players the right way, then I don't think you go and trade a guy who you say you relied on a lot, that is your captain, behind his back without telling him, 'Hey, these are some possibilities. Unfortunately, we have to move you. Do you have any say in the matter?'

"I would have had a lot more respect for the way [the Red Bulls] handled the situation if that's how it would have gone down."

The U.S. international stressed that his feelings had nothing to do with going from a contending team in the Red Bulls to a team like the Fire that is in rebuild mode after missing the playoffs each of the last four seasons.

"This is MLS, any team makes a couple of moves and they can be contenders after being terrible the year before," he said. "It was more the way certain people at the club handled the situation. I thought they would be more classy about it."

The two clubs will square off for the first time on April 29 at Red Bull Arena, but McCarty said he won't be circling that date on the calendar in a bid to get revenge, though he admitted some emotion will be attached.

"It will be a very special game for me, but when the whistle blows, I'm going to treat it like another game that the Fire are playing against a rival that we have to win," he said. "The main thing for me will just be being back in Red Bull Arena and having the emotions and seeing the fans again.

"I'm a little sad about the trade because you feel like you never got a chance to say a real goodbye to the fans. That will be appropriate. I'll soak up the environment, I'll soak up the moment. I hope I don't hear any boos, but you never know. I'm playing for a different team nowadays."

As for his relationship with Marsch, McCarty admitted some damage had been done, though he expects some healing to take place over time.

"I respect Jesse as a coach," he said. "He's a hell of a coach. I think he's going to do great things in his career. I think he's a fantastic coach, but I think as a person and a human being I feel like things could have been handled differently. That's a big shame because you want to try to move on in appropriate way.

"You want to try to have a lot of love for the Red Bulls because for me they're the club that I had the best years of my career with, that I'll always hold fondly in my heart. But it always leaves a little bit of a bitter taste in your mouth with the way that things ended. That's a shame. But I'll move on, [Marsch will] move on, and I'm sure in the future we'll shake hands and we'll be fine."

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