The New York Red Bulls' 5-2 loss to Orlando City in Week 30 of the 2015 MLS regular season was a game to forget. It is a result the team will hope to distance itself from by returning to the generally winning ways that have put it in position to challenge for end-of-season honors: an Eastern Conference title (not really a trophy, but nice nonetheless), a Supporters' Shield (definitely a trophy, definitely nice), or perhaps even MLS Cup (the trophy for some supporters, and - we are led to believe - Papa Red Bull himself).
No one wants to dwell on one of RBNY's worst performances of the season, but there are reasons to do so. One of those reasons: it was Dax McCarty's 150th start in all competitions for the New York Red Bulls.
To celebrate, and before the wheels came off for RBNY in the match, McCarty scored the 11th goal of his career for the club:
Good work, Captain. Sorry the rest of the game didn't go quite so well. Fortunately, there are still five games left in the regular season and however many we can get in the playoffs. All to play for. On to the next one.
But before we move on, a note on the significance of starting 150 games for RBNY.
McCarty is just the second player to get to 150 starts for the club - behind Mike Petke, whose record of 185 starts in all competitions will stand for at least another season. Petke is the RBNY record-holder for league starts also: 158 in his career for the Red Bulls (and MetroStars). McCarty is currently third on the league starts list (with 132), but he will pull level with Dane Richards (133) the next time he's in the starting lineup for RBNY.
Additionally, McCarty is joint-second, with Richards, for career playoffs starts for the Red Bulls: he has 11 to date. If he is fit and starting the first playoff game of this post-season, he'll pull up alongside Thierry Henry, whose 12 career playoffs starts constitute the club record.
All told, including a handful of US Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League appearances also, McCarty's 150 starts is an achievement to be celebrated. Only Petke has achieved more.
McCarty has also moved past Seth Stammler to claim fifth place on the club's all-time, all-competitions total appearances list. And he is now just 32 minutes behind Dane Richards for second place in the career minutes-played list.
Well done, Dax. Through good times and bad, you're building a record to be treasured at RBNY.
