A billboard over the Dallas North Tollway features the face of Luciano “Lucho” Acosta with the caption: “Dallas, meet your new superstar.”
Local fans will get a chance to see the Argentine midfielder, tasked with boosting the team’s goal production after the departure of several longtime attackers, for the first time when FC Dallas hosts the Chicago Fire in its home opener Saturday at Frisco’s Toyota Stadium.
FCD enters its third game of the season undefeated, having won its opener (2-1 in Houston) and drawn 3-3 last week in Colorado.
The Acosta signing shook up the MLS transfer market and signaled to the league that FCD wasn’t going be in rebuilding mode
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Before Acosta’s arrival, few considered FCD a serious contender in the Western Conference, especially given the offseason departures of Jesús Ferreria, Paul Arriola and Alan Velasco.
Before Acosta’s signing, the MLS website predicted that FCD would finish the season 13th among the 15 clubs in the Western Conference.
Last season, FC Dallas missed the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time since 2021.
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“I am not afraid to be the reference point for this team. I understand and accept the responsibility that I carry on my shoulders,” Acosta said in Spanish at the end of a practice.
Acosta was obtained in a cash-for-player trade from FC Cincinnati for $5 million plus bonuses.
The transaction marks the largest cash-for-player trade in Major League Soccer history.
Acosta, 30, was FC Cincinnati’s all-time leader in goals and assists, with 54 goals and 62 assists.
He helped Cincinnati win the 2023 MLS Supporters’ Shield, was named the 2023 MLS Most Valuable Player, and was selected to the MLS Best XI in 2022, 2023, and 2024. 2024.
Acosta captained the MLS All-Star teams in 2023 and 2024 and led the league with 31 goal contributions in 2023 (17 goals, 14 assists). He has 72 goals and 97 assists in the MLS.
In a recent news conference, FCD President Dan Hunt called Acosta’s signing one of the most significant in the club’s 30-year history.
“It’s as big as it gets. This is a landmark signing for FC Dallas and a statement of our commitment to building a championship-caliber team,” Hunt said.
Acosta, one of the smallest players in the league at 5-3 and 135 pounds, controls the ball prodigiously and has field vision like few other players.
“He sees the game before it happens,” said FCD coach Eric Quill.
“He’s not a one-trick pony; he can beat you with assists and beat you with goals. He’s like a fine Argentine wine; he gets better with age,” Quill said.
Before joining FCD, Acosta entertained offers from clubs in Brazil and Argentina. Still, it was a conversation he had with Quill that made him choose North Texas to continue his career.
“I had a conversation with the coach that seduced me,” Acosta said. “He immediately let me know his winning mentality, which was key for me. Furthermore, the club firmly intends to win a championship, and all those factors have led me here. This team wants to be at the top, and I will help it get there.”
While Acosta’s talent is undeniable, the Argentine also has a mood that sometimes creates conflicting situations.
Acosta’s departure from Cincinnati was tumultuous, pointing the finger at the team’s management after an early exit in last year’s playoffs.
Following their MLS Cup Round One loss to New York City FC, Acosta called out team general manager Chris Albright.
“Maybe it is the end for me at this club. We’ll have to talk with everyone about what the future might hold, but obviously, I’ve given everything to this club,” Acosta said at the time.
In February, Acosta let rip on Albright in a statement provided to Queen City Press reporter Laurel Pfahler.
“If my move out of FC Cincinnati occurs, it is all because of general manager Chris Albright,” Acosta said, according to SoccerwiseHQ. “My frustration after the last game of the season was all because of my issues with Chris that had evolved to a point that the locker room became too small for the two of us.”
After that, the relationship between both parties deteriorated, and that was the opportunity that FC Dallas was waiting for to have a shot at bringing Acosta.
“I’m not conflictive, I’m competitive,” Acosta said.
“People may think I’m conflictive because of my body language on the field, but in reality that is my way of being and my way of expressing that I want to compete at the highest level. My gestures on the field are often misinterpreted; it’s not that I’m angry or complaining to a teammate but that I’m very passionate. I like to win, and I’m not going to stop until I achieve it,” Acosta said.
FCD Sporting Director André Zanotta said he is not afraid that Acosta’s temperament will negatively impact the locker room atmosphere.
“We want players with that personality because Lucho is a fighter, competitive, and a winner. If that is a problem, that is the problem we want to have,” Zanotta said.
In the 2023 season, Acosta was close to reaching the MLS Cup with Cincinnati, the team with the most points that season (69), but which lost the Conference Final to the Columbus Crew.
Now, Acosta believes he has a good chance of fulfilling his ultimate dream of helping FC Dallas to win its first MLS Cup in franchise history.
“I was very close two years ago to winning it all, and I think that here in Dallas, we have a great squad to achieve it,” said Acosta. “That is our dream.”
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