Dax McCarty is lacing up his boots once again. Just months after ending his 19-year MLS career, the former Nashville SC captain and current Apple TV studio analyst is joining USL League Two side Des Moines Menace to play in the U.S. Open Cup.
Retirement didn’t last long. Let’s go! https://t.co/2VhlZ5S9yA
— Dax McCarty (@DaxMcCarty11) March 8, 2025
McCarty, whose 488 career matches played rank third all-time in MLS, joins former New York Red Bulls teammates Sacha Kljestan and Bradley Wright-Phillips for the Menace, along with legendary Seattle Sounders holding midfielder Ozzie Alonso and former U.S. international Benny Feilhaber.
The unlikely pairing began last year, when Kljestan met the then-General Manager of the Menace, former player Charlie Bales, at a gym near his home. Bales eventually convinced Kljestan to come out of retirement and play for the semi-professional club in their U.S. Open Cup. Kljestan set up the opener in their First Round matchup against Capo FC and scored the winning penalty in a 5-4 shootout win. The Menace fell 3-1 to USL League One side Union Omaha in the following round.
In 2025, they'll be looking to repeat their win from last season and go even further. With 1,664 MLS matches, 237 goals and 292 assists between them, who's to say they can't?
Des Moines kick off their U.S. Open Cup campaign with a First Round matchup against Sporting Kansas City II on Wednesday, March 19, at Children's Mercy Victory Field in Kansas City, Missouri.
