Even with the addition of the reserve division and the expansion to 28-man rosters, it's sometimes difficult for young players to get meaningful playing time.
So that's why it was important for FC Dallas rookies Dax McCarty and Blake Wagner to be called into the U.S. under-20 national team for the Four Nations Tournament in Busan, South Korea, held from Aug. 29 to Sept. 2. The trip marked the third of the season for McCarty with the U-20 team while it was Wagner's fourth.
"Anytime you get called into a national team camp, it's an honor," McCarty said. "It's always a good boost for us. I love to get out there and get in as many first-team games with the national team as possible."
McCarty added that such games will only help further his development as a professional.
"If I can get three quality international games instead of a few reserve games, I think that's better for my development," he said. "I think the trips have been really good so far and I've done really well. I'm happy about that."
Wagner agreed. "For me, going on these trips is always good because it gives us extra games," he said. "There's not many reserve games this year. So, it's always good to get more playing time and play against different teams, countries and styles. It's just good for us."
Before their trip to the Far East, their travels started with three games in Argentina in April. In July, they headed over to Northern Ireland for the Milk Cup, where McCarty captained the U.S. side to a second-place showing. That came only a short time after a 10-day training camp in Canada, which Wagner participated in but McCarty missed because of a groin injury.
McCarty, a Generation adidas player who was selected sixth overall in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft after a two-year stay at North Carolina, has played in five reserve games this season and has two goals.
He also saw time with the first-team on July 1 against Chivas USA, coming on as a late-game substitute at The Home Depot Center. The former Tar Heels midfielder also played in both legs of the Rio Grande Plate between FCD and Mexican Primera Division side Tigres UANL in early July. McCarty had an assist in the Hoops' 2-0 win on July 19 in Frisco.
Wagner is also a Generation adidas player who went in the second round (18th overall) of the 2006 SuperDraft. He came to MLS from the U.S. under-17 residency program in Bradenton, Florida and also played for the U.S. team in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship.
He has played in six reserve games this season for FCD. Like McCarty, the young defender also saw time in both games against Tigres. He came on as a second-half substitute in the first leg on July 19 and one week later, got his first-ever start with the first team in the return match in Monterrey, Mexico on July 26.
Wagner said the level of competition against Tigres compares favorably to what he and McCarty just saw in South Korea.
"The games against Tigres were much faster but both are played at high level," he said. "When we played at Korea, they had their best team with qualifying coming up in a few weeks. Compare that team to Tigres and I think they're quite similar in quality."
FCD head coach Colin Clarke has also kept tabs on their travels.
"I think it's been good," Clarke said. "The challenge for them has been coming in as young kids and knowing they are probably not going to get a lot of time. They would get some minutes and they've both done that.
"These games with the national team are very important. They're getting away and playing against foreign opposition, which is always a challenge," Clarke said. "Both of them have done very well. It think the overall learning experience has been good for both of them."
McCarty knows that such international competition is part of his learning experience as an MLS rookie.
"I think it's more of a learning experience your first year than contributing," he said. "You want to try to contribute as much as possible to the practices. First and foremost, you want to improve your play no matter what. And you want to do that in training sessions and reserve games.
"You want to try and push the first team in practice so you're right on the heels and the coaches know that you're not going to give up and are fighting for a first-team spot," McCarty said. "It's definitely a learning experience and something that has been a transition. It's not easy for me to sit on the bench and watch games. I love being on the field. That's why the national team games are so important for me because I can get out there and play."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
