McCarty back in Hoops' fold

FRISCO, Texas -- After much speculation about his future with FC Dallas, Hoops midfielder Dax McCarty has returned to Frisco, participating in his first training session of 2009 on Thursday evening after missing the first week of preseason practice.

McCarty had been sitting home in Florida at the request of FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman. The 20-year-old was just several months removed from a tumultuous 2008 season that ended with him expressing his displeasure over a lack of playing time and requesting a trade.

Hyndman and McCarty have now cleared the air and all is well, good news for a side still in need of a central attacking midfielder, a role both feel McCarty can play.

"It feels really good to be back," McCarty said. "It's the first time in two years where I've had the full offseason off. It's a blessing because you get your legs back. I had a little extra time off and used it to work myself back into shape. I just wanted to make sure that when I got back in somewhere, I was in shape. It's been a little frustrating, now knowing what's happening but now that everything is sorted out, I couldn't be happier to be back in Dallas and join my teammates to prepare for the new season."

Count his coach as equally happy with the resolution of the situation.

"He's great," Hyndman said. "We had a really good conversation today. I think we put a lot of things aside and realized that he can be a very important part of FC Dallas. I really appreciate him coming in fit, mentally focused and wanting to make it a good year for us."

McCarty is glad to now have a clean slate with the fifth coach of his four-year professional career.

"Last year is in the past," he said. "It was just something that two guys had to sit down and talk about, communicate and resolve things. They weren't even big things, they were small things. It's a learning process for both of us with a new coach coming into the league trying to figure out the best way to handle things. We had a meeting and everything went well. Now my sole focus is to help the team and try to win a spot like everyone else."

One possibility for McCarty is the attacking midfield spot.

"Yes, of course (he could play there)," Hyndman said. "There are certain things I want in those positions. In all fairness to Dax, we've never really worked our way through those job descriptions. I think he can do it. He could be that No. 10. There's no doubt about it."

A big asset for McCarty is that he is the type of two-way player that Hyndman wants.

"I think he has all the fitness," he said. "I think he's got the ability to do it. It's kind of like defending. Before you go out and do it, the mind has to say that I'm going to defend. It comes down to understanding the job description."

McCarty agrees that he could fill that need but adds that he will contribute anywhere Hyndman asks him to.

"I like to see myself as a two-way midfielder," McCarty said. "I see myself as a guy who can fit at multiple positions in the midfield. I've played pretty much everywhere in the midfield since I've been here. It ultimately comes down to what the team needs. I can absolutely play the No. 10 position. I've played it before and know what Schellas expects from that position. I can also play defensive mid. I'm all for whatever is going to help us win."

Even though McCarty has missed a week of practice, Hyndman isn't worried about him catching up.

"Watching him today and talking to him, he's a player that stays fit," he said. "What he has missed is the one-v-one defending and how much we have worked on that, two-v-two defending, three-v-three defending, the covering, pressure and the balance. But he's not the only one who has missed that."

McCarty, who was a member of the U.S. Olympic team that played in China during 2008, said he has put last year behind him and views the entire situation as one big life lesson.

"(The biggest thing I learned is) to be mature and be professional about everything," McCarty said. "Ups and downs are going to occur and you're not always going to agree with every decision that's made, but that's part of the game. It's how you deal with it that's really the main thing. I've learned a great deal about how to deal with situations differently. I've gotten a lot of great advice and have had a lot of support from teammates. I love it here, love the team and everything about this organization. So it's good to be back and have the support of everyone around you. You grow and you mature as a player. Ultimately, that's my goal, is to mature and help the team in any way I can."

His teammates have also put the situation behind them and welcomed McCarty back.

"It was like I didn't miss a beat," he said. "It's just good to be back out with the guys and be part of a team again. You sit at home, get a little antsy, and itch to start playing again. I definitely wanted to come back. I was ready to come back on a couple of occasions but they told me to hold off and make sure that nothing happened at the last minute. Once I got the call to come back, I was excited. It's great to be back. My teammates are great and they welcomed me back with open arms."

When asked about a purported trade to San Jose, McCarty offered a succinct response.

"I really tried to stay away from it," he said. "If that was the case, I was going to accept it, embrace it, try to move on and use this as a learning experience. I knew in the back of my head that I would love to come back to Dallas. You put things in the past. I don't hold grudges and the good thing about it is that neither does Schellas. It's great to be back where I am. I'm feeling really good about the situation here and the team we're putting together. You can just tell after my first training session that it's already sharper and that guys are already more prepared and focused for the upcoming year. It feels good."