Luciano Acosta capped off another stellar week with a team-leading performance against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday. Acosta recorded two assists in the midweek match against Minnesota, and added another assist and a goal in the weekend match against New York, bringing the Argentine's total to 13 assists and eight goals this season.
Acosta is the first Black-and-Red player to notch 13 or more assists in a single season since Jaime Moreno tallied 14 in 2004, and the midfielder joins Moreno and Marco Etcheverry as the only United players to ever record at least 13 assists in a single season (Moreno tallied 13 in 1999 and 14 in 2004, and Etcheverry recorded 19 in 1996 & 1998, and 17 in 1999). With 29 total assists in his MLS career, Acosta is now tied for the fifth-most assists in D.C. United history.
The midfielder has been on fire recently, scoring and/or assisting in three of United's last four matches and racking up seven goals and six assists since Audi Field's opening on July 14. And with six regular season games still remaining this year, Acosta has a shot at breaking Etcheverry's single-season record of 19 assists and becoming the first player to record 10+ goals and assists in a single season since Moreno recorded 10 and 10 in 2008.
Acosta could join an elite list of United players to notch 10+ goals/assists in a season that only includes Moreno (16 goals, 11 assists in 1998; 10 goals, 13 assists in 1999; 11 goals, 10 assists in 2006; and 10 goals, 10 assists in 2008), Etcheverry (10 goals, 19 assists in 1998), Roy Lassiter (18 goals, 11 assists in 1999), and Christian Gómez (14 goals, 11 assists in 2006).
While Acosta has remained the creative linchpin of United's midfield since coming to the District in 2016, the Argentine has significantly increased his level of play on both sides of the ball as of late. Acosta has become more aggressive in the final third, breaking apart opponents' backlines with perfectly-placed passes or charging the goal himself, and has used his pace and feistiness to become more involved on defense as well. His efforts have not gone unnoticed by Head Coach Ben Olsen, who has been impressed with Acosta’s development as an all-around player.
“He’s added a maturity to his game defensively,” Olsen said after the match against the Red Bulls, "and he’s obviously sparked a very good relationship with Wayne [Rooney]. And now he is finishing out plays and getting goals himself. He’s really evolved over the last two months and it’s been a real joy to watch.”
Acosta's goal and assist in Sunday’s match put on full display the midfielder's technical skill. Acosta started by assisting Paul Arriola on the first goal of the day, threading a pass between two Red Bulls defenders and just far enough behind the backline to allow Arriola to continue his run and one-time a shot inside the far post.
Then, in the final minutes of the match, Acosta and Yamil Asad connected on a give-and-go just outside the box, resulting in Acosta slipping past the defense with space. He continued his dribble straight toward Luis Robles and coolly chipped the goalkeeper, sending Audi Field into a frenzy.
“It was such a great individual goal,” Olsen said. “That deserved to be a winner.”
Acosta's rise in individual performance is one of the key factors that has helped United keep their playoff hopes alive down the stretch of the season. And while individual accolades are nice, Acosta knows each remaining game has major playoff implications for the Black-and-Red, and his influence in the midfield could be the deciding factor in pushing United in to the postseason.
"He is a fantastic player with all the ability," Wayne Rooney said of Acosta. "We just need to keep on top of him and keep him performing like he is for us. He will be an important player for the next games.”
