In the 87th minute of United’s thrilling back-and-forth tilt against the New York Red Bulls, Luciano Acosta received a pass inside the box and immediately looked to his right, where Wayne Rooney was in prime position to capitalize on a centering pass.
Red Bulls center back Aaron Long was left with a decision to make: impede Acosta’s progress towards the net, or close Acosta’s passing lane. Long chose to defend the pass and Acosta made him pay as he chipped in the go-ahead goal over Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles.
This is a conundrum that Acosta has forced on MLS defenders, as his improved finishing ability has forced back lines to gamble on whether they can impede Acosta’s ability to shoot or find the open man.
Both of those abilities were apparent in United’s 3-3 draw against the Red Bulls. On the Black-and-Red’s first goal, his feisty defensive effort forced a turnover in New York’s own half which he immediately turned to push the attack. The Argentine midfielder then directed a perfectly weighted pass to Paul Arriola for a one-time shot past Robles.
“It’s just what he’s been doing lately. He was the same handful throughout and now he’s added maturity to his game defensively,” head coach Ben Olsen said after the match. “He’s obviously sparked a good relationship with Wayne [Rooney] and now he’s finishing out plays… whether that’s the final ball or scoring goals himself.”
Acosta’s assist to Arriola made the 24-year-old became just the third player in the club’s history to reach the 13-assist mark, joining the likes of Black-and-Red legends Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno. Acosta also became the first player since Moreno in 2004 to reach 13 assists in a season.
With eight goals in 2018, the third-year midfielder has matched his scoring output from his first two seasons combined. After the addition of Rooney to the attack, Acosta has scored seven goals in 14 matches after scoring just one in the Black-and-Red’s first 14 matches.
Now Acosta, who is tied for fifth on United’s all-time assist leaderboard with 29, pursues another milestone in the final six matches of the season. The young Argentine needs just two goals to reach double-digits and become the fifth player in the club’s history to notch 10 goals and 10 assists in a season.
Should Acosta score two more goals this season, he would join Etcheverry, Christian Goméz, Roy Lassiter and Moreno as the only players in United’s 23-year history to accomplish the feat, and the first player in 10 years to do so.
United’s attack is dynamic, and features players who can score and create for others, which boosts Acosta’s chances of reaching the milestone. More importantly, Acosta’s continued offensive showings will help the Black-and-Red reach a more important milestone, qualification for the postseason.
One way or another, Acosta plans pushing both himself and the team forward.
