Luciano Acosta, Brandon Vazquez Named to 2022 MLS Best XI

November 2, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – FC Cincinnati News Release

CINCINNATI – Major League Soccer announced today that FC Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta and Brandon Vazquez have been named to the 2022 MLS Best XI presented by Continental Tire, a collection of elite performers from the 2022 MLS regular season and one of the most prestigious annual honors a player can receive. The Best XI recognizes the league’s top players at each position as determined by media, MLS players, and MLS club technical staffs.

Acosta and Vazquez are the first two players in FC Cincinnati history to be named to the MLS Best XI. Their recognition comes in FCC’s milestone 2022 season in which Acosta and Vazquez also became the first pair of MLS All-Stars to represent the club at the 2022 MLS All-Star Game in August.

Luciano Acosta

FC Cincinnati’s dynamic midfielder has been named to the MLS Best XI for the second time in his career (2018 Best XI with D.C. United – 10 goals/17 assists). He is just the sixth midfielder in MLS history to make a Best XI team with two different clubs. This year, Acosta surpassed his 2018 season scoring tally with a career-high 29 regular season goal contributions, tied for third-most in MLS this year.

Acosta led the league with 19 assists this season, four more than any other player in MLS. He also led MLS in assists from open play (12), intentional assists (12) and he ranked second in chances created (93).

A team-high five of Acosta’s assists this year were game-winning assists, including assisting Brenner’s goal on June 24 against Orlando City SC when, despite coming on a second half substitute, in 35 minutes of game action he changed the complexion of the contest by matching a career-high in shots (5) and shots on target (3).

Two of his 10 goals served as game-winners, including his 85th minute solo strike at Chicago Fire FC on May 14. The Argentine cemented his spot as FC Cincinnati’s all-time leader in appearances as captain of the Orange and Blue this season, finishing the year with 57 career regular season starts as FCC’s captain.

His impressive 2022 campaign also saw him set extend all-time club records he already held in goal contributions (46) and assists (29). On August 6 against Philadelphia Union, Acosta became the first player in club history to record three assists in a game, all in the second half, in the Orange and Blue’s 3-1 win over the Union.

Acosta was named to the MLS Team of the Week six times, and he became the first FC…