Back in February, FC Dallas made a massive play to get one of the league's best playmakers and goalscores through a cash trade system that was introduced weeks earlier. That player involved was none other than 2023 MLS MVP Lucho Acosta.
While there were talks of him going back to Argentina, FC Dallas came in and made an offer that FC Cincinnati knew they had to take as it would allow them to go out and do the same with former Portland Timbers star Evander.
By all accounts, everyone knew what they signed up for when the club landed the Argentine from FC Cincinnati. He had, in some ways, outstayed his welcome in Ohio. Everyone who watched FC Cincinnati or even his former MLS club, D.C. United, all said the same thing with Acosta. Enjoy the good times, because he'll be great during them. But brace yourself for how bad things can get when he's struggling.
Well, after 16 games in 2025 and only three goals in league play to show for it, I think we may need to see what has gone on that is so different between how he played in Ohio to things now in Texas.
He was stupid good in 2024
I still contend that had Lionel Messi not been in MLS, Acosta could have easily repeated as MLS MVP.
But the more important thing to me is how he helped set up the attack, too. Acosta didn't just finish the year in 2024 with 14 goals but he also had 19 assists. Yeah, 19 assists. Dallas hasn't had a double-digit assist guy since the 2018 with Michael Barrios (if you are like me, you probably forgot about Barrios' two seasons when he had 11 and 13 assists).
