FC Cincinnati midfielder Luciano Acosta has been voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Month for August 2023, the league announced today. The monthly award, voted upon by a panel of select national media members, is Acosta’s fourth of his career, and his second-consecutive award following taking home the honors in July 2023.Â
Acosta became the first player since Atlanta United’s Josef MartĂnez in July and August 2019 to win the award in consecutive months. This is the fourth time in his career that Acosta has taken home Player of the Month, and he trails only MartĂnez, Landon Donovan, and Carlos Ruiz, all with six honors apiece, for the most in MLS history.Â
FC Cincinnati have taken home four of the most recent 13 Player of the Month awards since the start of the 2022 season (Acosta, June 2022, July 2023, August 2023; Brenner, September/October 2022).
Acosta’s MVP-caliber play continued from his MLS Player of the Month campaign in July. His four goal contributions in three matches in August tied for the most goal contributions in the league over that span. His game-tying goal and assist of Brandon Vazquez’s game-winning goal on Wednesday at Atlanta United helped the Orange and Blue become the first team to clinch their spot in the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs.
The 29-year-old midfielder is in the midst of a career season with the Orange and Blue as the club leads the Supporters’ Shield standings. Acosta is fully entrenched in the Landon Donovan MLS MVP race, as he is currently tied with reigning MVP Hany Mukhtar atop the Golden Boot leaderboard with a career-best 13 goals this season and he leads the league with 24 goal contributions (13 goals, 11 assists).Â
Acosta’s eight games of multiple goal contributions, and five games with at least one goal and one assist, lead MLS this season.
Month(s) | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
February/March | Thiago Almada | Atlanta United |
April | Cristian Espinoza | San Jose Earthquakes |
May | Hany Mukhtar | Nashville SC |
June | Alan Pulido | Sporting Kansas City |
July | Luciano Acosta | FC Cincinnati |
August | Luciano Acosta | FC Cincinnati |
Month(s) | Player | Year |
|---|---|---|
June | Luciano Acosta | 2022 |
September/October | Brenner | 2022 |
July | Luciano Acosta | 2023 |
August | Luciano Acosta | 2023 |
FC Cincinnati return home to TQL Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 2 to take on Orlando City SC at 7:30 p.m. ET. Tickets are still available for the match and can be purchased at fccincinnati.com/tickets. The match will also stream live on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV App and fans can listen in locally on ESPN 1530.
