While he's not always the finisher, Argentine maestro Luciano Acosta continues to find ways to serve as the Black-and-Red's creative linchpin, using his dribbling ability and sharp passes in the final third to fuel the attack in its most critical positioning.
In Saturday's 3-1 win at San Jose, two well-placed assists in less than six minutes of play earned Acosta Heineken Man of the Match honors. His clever play and vision have proved crucial to the Black-and-Red’s success early on this season, and the midfielder's performances will likely continue to be a major factor in United's results on their road trip to Audi Field and in their new home.
Acosta’s 90 minute performance on Saturday was another example of his role as the club’s creator, as he set up Zoltán Stieber and Darren Mattocks for goals in the first half of the match. The Argentine now leads D.C. with 11 chances created on the season, and is tied for fifth-most assists in Major League Soccer with five, although his .81 assists per 90 minutes is good for third in the league. His two helpers against San Jose showed off his versatile skill set, displaying his willingness to drop deeper to get touches on the ball and his composure in the final third.
United’s first goal of the game came in the 15th minute thanks to a dime of a pass from Acosta. The attacking midfielder dropped all the way back to his own half to receive a pass and to survey his options up ahead. After a couple steps and one dribble, Acosta launched an aerial ball over the San Jose central defense to Stieber, who was making a diagonal run. The pass fell beautifully to the Hungarian and allowed him to slip in behind the back line and take one touch before beating the keeper for a goal.
Just five minutes later, Acosta made his presence felt on the other side of the field when he covered ground to intercept a San Jose pass. Acosta was then off to the races, as he and Darren Mattocks took on two defenders in the penalty area. Acosta went right at the defense and coolly slipped a ball through to Mattocks, who had split off to his right. The perfectly-weighted ball allowed Mattocks to send a strike into the left corner with his first touch, giving the Black-and-Red a 2-0 lead 20 minutes into the match.
Saturday was the Acosta's most involved performance of the year thus far, as he completed a season-best 55 passes in the contest. The midfielder also set a new season-high in dribbles completed (7) and dribbles success rate (70%).
Thanks to his outstanding performance against the Quakes, Acosta earned Man of the Match honors for the second time this year. The Argentine was also named Man of the Match for United's draw against Houston at the Maryland SoccerPlex on March 17, when he scored the 97th minute equalizer—the latest goal in club history—to salvage a point for the Black-and-Red.
Acosta's creative play and knack for setting up his teammates have been critical in giving United a chance to win in each fixture they face. And with his five assists this season already tying his assist total from 2017, Acosta is poised to have another big year with the Black-and-Red.
