Cesar Hernandez May 14, 2026, 06:00 AM ET Within the past decade or so, an increasingly long list of sports writers, fans and professional athletes have started to use an immaculate phrase that perfectly defines a certain intangible trait. He's got that dog in him. Often used to describe a figure with relentless tenacity and grit, these "dogs" are regularly the most scrappy and hungry players on the field. They can be chaotic as the unsung heroes who do plenty of the dirty work, but that work -- especially in soccer -- is invaluable in the buildup to goals and assists. Every team needs at least one in their roster. When this summer's FIFA World Cup kicks off in June, millions of Americans will be asking themselves the same question: Which United States player truly has that dog in them? Inspired by the internet's usage of "xDAWG," a tongue-in-cheek riff on the xG (expected goals) metric, ESPN has created a formula that highlights these possible game changers for the USMNT.…