FC Dallas transfer Lucho Acosta to Fluminese

Almost six months to the day FC Dallas announced forward Lucho Acosta's acquisition, the club has announced his departure. Acosta is now with Brazilian giant Fluminese on what's being reported by GE Globo's Marcello Neves as a three year contract and $4 million transfer fee. GiveMeSport's Tom Bogert corroborates that reporting.

Why transfer Acosta now?

There's an argument that Dallas might have given up early on Acosta. I'm not making it, because I think it's asinine. To anyone who disagrees let me be blunt: This relationship wasn't working, and it needed termination ASAP.

You don't have to look further than the lack of on-field production in justifying the decision. In 21 games Acosta had five goals, one assists, and 13 shots on target as the Toros' highest paid player. By itself that's not going to cut it, but it's worse by comparison to fellow Designated Player Petar Musa. In the same amount of games the Moose has 12 goals, five assists, and 26 shots on target.

While Acosta himself arrived in Frisco, his magical abilities never did. I wrote about his lack of abilities at length earlier this season. A paragraph from that piece is relevant here:

Regardless of the specifics however, something has to be done and fast. Dallas can’t afford a continuance of this version of Acosta over an entire season, because it means their season will be just as disappointing.

Andre Zanotta isn't likely reading Toros Talk (if you are, a pleasure to have you Andre) but he got the message regardless.

That's before we even tackle Acosta's recent disappearance from the team for "personal reasons" that sure looks to the world like a suspension. That's not me saying it is, just saying how it looks. That seemed to be a turning point, especially considering how much better the team looked with him not playing.

It's what happens when you gamble, sometimes you lose. Dallas gambled on a player who wanted out of Cincinnati for reasons, thinking they could capitalize on that dysfunction. They couldn't, and instead of letting it fester they took appropriate action.

What a short, strange journey the Acosta era in Dallas ends up being. And yet despite its fleeting tenure, there's a lot to take from this half year experience.

What Acosta's Dallas tenure taught us

This is Eric Quill's team

All during Acosta's time in Frisco it felt like there was an unspoken battle between new superstar and new manager. Not an actual squabble, but this underlying vibe of struggle. Quill wants his players battling all the time, being two way monsters that never give up while earning their place in every starting eleven.

Acosta was not that guy, quite the opposite despite being the squad's captain. He hunted for fouls, complained at both officials and teammates when things didn't go right, and sulked during play when he wasn't the game's focal point. He didn't fit the Quill profile and it took only a few games to see that.

It felt inevitable when Acosta's struggles became the team's struggles that a choice loomed for the front office. Either change course in the rebuild around their new superstar or keep course with their new manager and without Acosta.

They chose the latter which from all available data looks correct. Quill has the locker room's respect, and we've seen how well the team functions when everyone is bought into his playing style. As a result the powers that be cast out the ill-fitting piece. In a power struggle that wasn't yet was, the gaffer came out on top.

This decision sends a message to any other player that might consider Dallas: either fit in or ship out. Quill's way is the Frisco way right now, and if Dallas will cut ties with a former MLS MVP they paid around $5 million for six months ago in service to that mission they'll prune anyone. It gives Quill a vote of authority that he's in charge, that his way is the only way, and everyone must fall in line. It creates a clear structure, one every successful club needs.

Andre Zanotta got this one both right and wrong

I fully expect this Acosta situation to be another opportunity for supporters who aren't Zanotta fans to level criticism at Dallas' Chief Soccer Officer. While some will be deserved, most won't.

Getting the deserved part out of the way, let's flash back to the season opening press conference and a pair of moments:

In that same presser Zanotta cited his previous experience in Brazil as evidence that he'd be able to handle a personality like Acosta's. It felt a bit of a bold claim at the time and turned out to be such.

Even in hindsight however I don't blame Zanotta for acquiring Acosta. With the Velasco money in hand and a vacancy at the #10 spot, acquiring a MVP level player for under market value is something you do ten times out of ten. Yes there were risks, but if you go back everyone who talked about this deal accepted them as worthy of taking.

What's more critical however is not waiting around to move Acosta on. The recognition that this team is better without him, that they couldn't carry a player with that much salary and that little production, and to almost break even on him is a huge feather in Zanotta's cap. When you combine the Acosta money with the reported Marco Farfan fee, Dallas will come out profitable.

All that means is within six months Zanotta did the following:

1. Acquired an MVP level player for under market value for a club in an active rebuild
2. Recognized that he was not a fit for said club
3. Sold him to another club for a minimal loss, regaining a DP slot and a bunch of salary room

Call me a homer but I think this is overall a positive for Zanotta's record. It's not pretty and it'd have been better if Acosta had worked out for Dallas. That's not how these things go sometimes. Good decision makers recognize when a fit isn't fitting and rectify it in a reasonable time frame. Zanotta did, which means overall he handled this about as well as he could.

Dallas once again needs a #10

Now that the book is closed on Acosta, Dallas is once again in the market for another #10. When the Acosta rumors began, I did a big write-up on potential options at the position you can find here. With the transfer window closing August 21st for MLS, there isn't much time to get a replacement here.

That isn't the worst thing. Dallas is going to be hunting for another DP quality #10 which don't grow on trees. Rushing into a deal could result in another Acosta situation where the fit isn't right and the team suffers. Unless Dallas has someone previously scouted they can get across the line, waiting until the winter window is prudent.

As to who could fill the void should Dallas want to play with a #10 down the stretch, they've got some options. First to mind is Patrickson, who I projected as such in a recent piece about potential Dallas lineups. He's played high when Dallas goes to five in the back or the diamond and that's been his best spot. His play of late is improved, so giving him the chance to earn the job would be fair.

Another potential option is Pedrinho. The Brazilian has bounced between the first team and North Texas SC of late, including scoring a brace in the Campeon de Campeones Cup game at Toyota Stadium. While he's been effective primarily off the bench, there's a chance he could seize the opportunity in Acosta's absence.

One final current roster option is Sebastian Lletget. Da Boy has played everywhere on the pitch for the Toros in 2025, so why not add one more position to his resume. If Dallas goes to a two person midfield players like Kaick, Ramiro, Christian Cappis, and Tsiki Ntsabeleng are all there. This would provide a logical place for Lletget to get minutes and best utilize his skills. His slick passing and strong on-ball awareness would help Musa and Logan Farrington quite a bit in the short term.

It's also worth noting Lletget's deal is up after 2025 with a 2026 team option. Giving him games to showcase his abilities could help him both in getting that option picked up or attracting another team this winter.