The Lucho Acosta saga is finally over after months of drama and intrigue, and FC Dallas consider themselves the big winners.
"It's an honor as a coach to get a chance to work with a player of his profile, stature. The mentality that this man possesses is one of a winning nature," FCD head coach Eric Quill told reporters as he and chief soccer officer/sporting director André Zanotta announced their blockbuster acquisition on Wednesday afternoon at Toyota Stadium.
"I'm just excited of what he's going to bring to our locker room, and what he's going to bring to the fans of FC Dallas."
MVP pedigree
In the latest instance of the league’s brand-new ‘cash-for-player’ trade mechanism, the 2023 Landon Donovan MLS MVP moves from FC Cincinnati in exchange for $5 million, up to $1 million in performance-based add-ons and a sell-on percentage of any future MLS cash trade.
The deal was long in the making, Zanetta noted, intensified by Acosta’s foundational place in Cincy and contentious falling-out with FCC’s leadership as well as strong interest from other suitors both in the league and overseas.
"We went back and forth with Cincinnati. Obviously we always respect the club's position – he's a big-time player for Cincinnati, and it's never easy. We know we felt this this year; it’s never easy to let go players that have a significant history in your club," said Zanotta in a nod to Dallas’ sweeping offseason roster overhaul that's seen Alan Velasco, Jesús Ferreira and Paul Arriola all depart.
"We were competing with other MLS clubs, we were competing with teams from Argentina, Brazil, and in the end, he wanted to be here. So one thing that for him that's key is he’s super competitive. We spoke with a lot of people, and he wants to win. And he wanted to see the mentality that we have here, that we are going to go for trophies, that we're going to compete to win everything that we have this year … This is an acquisition that shows that we want to be winners."
Ultimate competitor
Acosta turned heads across MLS when he declared his desire to leave FCC immediately after their Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs campaign ended with an upset loss to New York City FC, despite having signed a new contract with the Knifey Lions the prior season. The relationship grew strained over the winter and in recent days the Argentine No. 10 went public with his discontent with Cincy general manager Chris Albright, reminiscent of Acosta’s unhappy exit from his previous MLS club, D.C. United, in 2019.
None of that was seen as undue cause for concern at FCD.
"I'm from Brazil. I've seen Romario play, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and those players, they were difficult to manage,” said Zanotta. "So that's the kind of player we want to have, those that make the magic on the field, and if they bring that personality, because he's a fighter, he's very competitive and he wants to win.
"We want to have this kind of problem here."
Added Quill: "Guys who are the ultimate competitors, they set a high bar, and they bring everybody with them, and that's the demand he has, and that's why he's coming. We understand that bar, and we want it to be here, and it's going to be. So we're more than prepared. He's got amazing character, by the way. So this guy is a great human being with a high standard of himself and those around him, and that's who he is. And we want that, we respect that."
"Argentinian fine wine"
A former FCD player who also coached their second team, North Texas SC, to a USL League One championship in 2019, Quill returned to the club this winter with a solid résumé after stints on Caleb Porter’s Columbus Crew coaching staff and a successful run with USL Championship side New Mexico United.
The combination of last season’s underachievement and the expected learning curve in his first year as an MLS No. 1 left many observers expecting a tough slog for Dallas in 2025. Acosta’s arrival just raised the ceiling dramatically, however.
"In pure Texas fashion, I think it was, 'Hell yeah,'" Quill wisecracked when asked about his initial reaction to the trade’s completion. "I've watched Lucho for years, I've coached against him, and I've watched him on TV, just like any other fan. I mean, you can't help but think about the vision of what he's going to do on the field, and the excitement and passion he's going to bring to our fan base, and the product is second to none … it energizes everybody."
Quill is installing an aggressive game model based on directness going forward, featuring what he and Zanotta call a “dog mentality” of intensity and commitment against the ball. They believe Acosta is an ideal force multiplier for showpiece striker Petar Musa and Los Toros Tejanos’ stable of wide and withdrawn attackers, even as he moves into his 30s.
"He's the guy that unlocks defenses. And so the weaponry that we have in Petar Musa and Anderson Julio and Bernard Kamungo, these guys have the ability to get in behind defenses, and Lucho, he sees the game before it happens. He's one of those bright players that sees the game two or three steps ahead, not just one," said Quill.
"He's like an Argentinian fine wine. He's getting better with age, and that's why he’s such an important piece for us is. We feel like he's getting better and better and better."
