Plano native joins roster of league stars to face Arsenal FC on Thursday
FRISCO, Texas (Monday, July 25, 2016) – FC Dallas midfielder Kellyn Acosta has earned his first Major League Soccer All-Star nod, replacing Sporting Kansas City’s Matt Besler for the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game versus Arsenal FC. Acosta, Mauro Diaz and their fellow All-Stars will represent MLS in the summer showcase at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Calif., on July 28 at 6:30 p.m. CT, live on ESPN, UniMas, UDN, TSN and RDS.
One of FC Dallas’ heralded “Homegrown” players, Acosta, who turned 21 on Sunday, grew up in the Dallas Metroplex and spent his youth career with the FC Dallas Academy, before signing his first professional contract with FC Dallas at age 16 during the 2012 season. The then-16-year-old Acosta helped the FCD Academy U-18s to the 2012 U.S. Soccer Development Academy championship. The following season Acosta made his MLS debut versus Seattle Sounders FC in front of 39,360 fans. He is the first FC Dallas Homegrown player to earn MLS All-Star honors.
In January 2016, Acosta earned his first invitation to the U.S. Men’s National Team’s annual January camp, joining Jurgen Klinsmann’s roster as the youngest player in camp. He made his full international debut for the United States in a friendly versus Iceland on Jan. 31, 2016. Prior to earning his first senior cap, Acosta was a mainstay among U.S. Youth National Teams. The Plano-native played in the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup, before becoming the youngest member of the U.S. side at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Two years later, he returned with the squad for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
So far this season, Acosta has played 22 games, scoring one goal and recording five assists. In his career, Acosta has appeared in 71 regular-season matches for the Dallas side with four goals and eight assists. He has also appeared in four playoff matches for the Dallas side.
The roster is made up of 24 players chosen by All-Star coach Dominic Kinnear, taking into consideration the All-Star Fan XI and player voting, and the two Commissioner’s Picks. Diaz and Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman are the two Commissioner’s Picks.
