National Writer: Charles Boehm<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The Lucho Acosta<\/a> saga is finally over after months of drama and intrigue, and FC Dallas<\/a> consider themselves the big winners.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n “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 Andr\u00e9 Zanotta announced their blockbuster acquisition<\/a> on Wednesday afternoon at Toyota Stadium.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n In the latest instance of the league\u2019s brand-new \u2018cash-for-player\u2019 trade mechanism, the 2023 Landon Donovan MLS MVP moves from FC Cincinnati<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n The deal was long in the making, Zanetta noted, intensified by Acosta\u2019s foundational place in Cincy and contentious falling-out with FCC\u2019s leadership as well as strong interest from other suitors both in the league and overseas.<\/p>\n “We went back and forth with Cincinnati. Obviously we always respect the club’s position \u2013 he’s a big-time player for Cincinnati, and it’s never easy. We know we felt this this year; it\u2019s never easy to let go players that have a significant history in your club,” said Zanotta in a nod to Dallas\u2019 sweeping offseason roster overhaul that’s seen Alan Velasco<\/a>, Jes\u00fas Ferreira<\/a> and Paul Arriola<\/a> all depart.<\/p>\n “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\u2019s 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 \u2026 This is an acquisition that shows that we want to be winners.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Acosta turned heads across MLS when he declared his desire<\/a> to leave FCC immediately after their Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs campaign ended with an upset loss to New York City FC<\/a>, 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\u2019s unhappy exit from his previous MLS club, D.C. United<\/a>, in 2019.<\/p>\n None of that was seen as undue cause for concern at FCD.<\/p>\n “I’m from Brazil. I’ve seen Romario play, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and those players, they were difficult to manage,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n “We want to have this kind of problem here.”<\/p>\n 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.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n He\u2019s a league MVP and he\u2019s #DTID<\/a>. pic.twitter.com\/A7cidXLnVp<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 FC Dallas (@FCDallas) February 12, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n 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 r\u00e9sum\u00e9 after stints on Caleb Porter\u2019s Columbus Crew<\/a> coaching staff and a successful run with USL Championship side New Mexico United.<\/p>\n The combination of last season\u2019s 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\u2019s arrival just raised the ceiling dramatically, however.<\/p>\n “In pure Texas fashion, I think it was, ‘Hell yeah,'” Quill wisecracked when asked about his initial reaction to the trade\u2019s 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 \u2026 it energizes everybody.”<\/p>\n Quill is installing an aggressive game model based on directness going forward, featuring what he and Zanotta call a \u201cdog mentality\u201d of intensity and commitment against the ball. They believe Acosta is an ideal force multiplier for showpiece striker Petar Musa<\/a> and Los Toros Tejanos\u2019 stable of wide and withdrawn attackers, even as he moves into his 30s.<\/p>\n “He’s the guy that unlocks defenses. And so the weaponry that we have in Petar Musa and Anderson Julio<\/a> and Bernard Kamungo<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n “He’s like an Argentinian fine wine. He’s getting better with age, and that’s why he\u2019s such an important piece for us is. We feel like he’s getting better and better and better.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \n MVP pedigree<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Ultimate competitor<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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“Argentinian fine wine”<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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