MIAMI, Florida – On Tuesday, the United States Men’s National Team will close out what has been a 2021 to remember. The U.S. are not only atop the table in the Final Round of Concacaf World Cup Qualifying for Qatar 2022 after seven matches, but they also emerged victorious in both the 2021 Concacaf Nations League Finals and the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup with wins over rivals Mexico in each Final.
Playing a big role in the U.S. success has been MF Kellyn Acosta, who started both Finals against El Tricolor and then played as substitute in the 2-0 win over Mexico in last Friday’s WCQ in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Defeating Mexico for a third time overall in the calendar year and earning three points against them in WCQ was another step forward for a young U.S. team that is finding its way.
“It was huge, especially playing our rivals at home. We knew going into the game that Mexico would be a tough test, they were atop the table, and these games at home in qualifiers are important for us to get a result. The guys did a great job all night in battling and fighting on the front foot and I think we were rewarded with a good result,” said Acosta in an exclusive interview with Concacaf.com.
Similar to the two Finals played over the summer, it was a strong finish to the match that propelled the U.S. to victory last Friday, with goals from Christian Pulisic in the 74’ and Weston McKennie in the 85’. Acosta believes it was the ability to play at a high level of intensity until the final whistle that proved decisive for the U.S.
“I think we just kept chugging away on both sides of the ball. Playing against any team with that type of intensity, you are going to slowly wear them down and we did just that. The game would have been different if Mexico had scored on their chances in the first half, but [GK] Zack [Steffen] came up big. We buckled down and wore them down with our intensity and aggressiveness,” said Acosta.
There have not been many times in history that the U.S. have managed to beat their North Americans rivals three times in a row, so in Acosta’s eyes it says a lot about the talent that the current U.S. team has assembled.
“It shows that in this player pool we have some great players that can get the job done in high stakes games. We showed it in two finals, we showed it in a qualifier. We’re proud of it, but we know the next time we play Mexico, it’s going to be a different test. Beating Mexico is great, but now the next game is Jamaica and that’s the most important one,” said Acosta.
Earlier in qualifying, the U.S. collected a 2-0 win in Austin, Texas against the Reggae Boyz, however Acosta is aware that Tuesday’s tilt in Kingston will offer a much steeper challenge.
“Despite not getting the results they wanted previously, they are still a really good side with good players. Guys who play on good teams in Europe and a team that has shown it can get good results. Playing at home they are going to be eager to get a good result, and for us, we just can’t rely on saying, ‘Oh, we just beat Mexico,’” said Acosta.
While there are many new faces to the U.S. in the current cycle, Acosta is one of the few players who also appeared for the U.S. in Concacaf WCQ for Russia 2018. His biggest takeaway from the current team is the brimming belief felt within the squad.
“We’re very confident in our abilities and confident in each other. We experienced a lot in these few months, especially in the Nations League Final by going down and being able to fight back and win the game against Mexico. We’re a close-knit brotherhood. It’s one of those things that guys have been playing with each other since youth national teams and it’s all come together,” said Acosta.
On a personal level, not only did Acosta lift the Nations League and Gold Cup trophies in 2021, but with Friday’s appearance against Mexico, he tied Gyasi Zardes’ record of the most USMNT matches played in a calendar year with 19. Always a player with a team-first mentality, Acosta says it’s an accomplishment that could not have been possible without others.
“I’m not about breaking records, I’m a team-first kind of guy and I’ll do whatever to put the team in the best position as possible. But it’s an amazing feeling, from being out of the national team scene to then being back in and playing in a lot of games has been huge confidence-wise. It’s a special thing and I just want to continue building and then come compete next year,” said Acosta.
While 2022 may see Acosta at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the 26-year-old is poised to be a part of the Colorado Rapids team that will compete in the 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League, which Acosta sees as a just reward for Colorado’s MLS Western Conference-winning campaign.
“Qualifying for Champions League was huge for our team, for the club and a reward after a long season. Now we want to achieve more things,” said Acosta.
Playing in the SCCL seems to suit Acosta. The midfielder played in seven SCCL matches in 2016-17, scoring three goals in helping FC Dallas reach the semifinals where they lost a dramatic semifinal to eventual champions Pachuca. Acosta hopes this time around he can go a step further.
“I scored a few goals, scored against Pachuca, but it was a bittersweet feeling because we didn’t achieve more. That was a good Pachuca side with good players. Now I have another opportunity to achieve more. It will take a lot, but I’m proud to be back there and achieve more than just exiting in the semifinals,” concluded Acosta.
