MLS Blockbuster: How Dallas, Cincinnati and Portland Improved in League-Changing Deal | OneFootball

David Beckham and Lionel Messi's arrival in MLS marked the most significant moment in league history. Yet, the introduction of the cash-for-player trade has changed the picture forever.

On Wednesday, FC Cincinnati announced that 2023 MLS MVP Luciano Acosta was heading to FC Dallas from FC Cincinnati on a $5 million + $1 million transfer within the league. This move launched a domino effect for Dallas, Cincinnati, and the Portland Timbers, per MLS insider Tom Bogert.

The Acosta transfer concludes what had become an untenable situation between Cincinnati and the Argentine Designated Player. After his comments about leaving the club in the moments after crashing out of the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, it was always the inevitable solution.

With him making the move to Dallas, Cincinnati will now be able to chase after another disgruntled midfielder in Portland’s Evander. At the same time, the Timbers look to Ligue 1 and RC Lens’ David da Costa.

While Dallas got a relative bargain on the Acosta deal at $5 million plus add-ons, Cincinnati is spending significantly more cash to plug the hole. The club is paying a reported $12 million plus add-ons to bring in Evander, a playmaking attacking midfielder who will complement club-record signing Kévin Denkey.

In past MLS eras, keeping Evander or Acosta in MLS would have proved challenging, with no clubs able to put together enough assets to make a deal. With cash transfers, it’s a new world where the league’s best talent can stay in MLS.

But what does it all mean for three aspiring MLS Cup contenders?

Why are FC Dallas making this move?

Luciano Acosta heads to Texas on a rebuilding FC Dallas squad. / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

FC Dallas has had a transformative offseason. Starting with the hiring of former MLS Next Pro head coach Eric Quill as the first team’s manager, the roster has undergone a complete overhaul.

While star forward Jesus Ferreira and key wingback/midfielder Paul Arriola made their way to Western Conference foe Seattle Sounders FC, the club has re-tooled with Acosta and 13 other new signings.

In 2024, Designated Player Petar Musa proved he could be a focal point for an attack but often needed a supporting piece to find his full potential, even after scoring 16 goals and three assists in 27 games. In Acosta, Dallas adds just that.

Through 35 matches in Cincinnati, Acosta scored 14 goals and led the league with 17 assists, involved in over 55% of his club’s total goals. Additionally, he made 3.51 key passes per game, according to SofaScore, two more than Dallas’ best in 2024, which was 1.5 from MLS veteran Sebastian Lletget.

“He's an artist. Just the things he does with the ball are incredible," said FC Dallas' chief soccer officer André Zanotta.

"It's rare to find, it's not easy to sign a player with the quality he brings. He's going to raise the expected goals for our team significantly and he brings so many threats on the field, we're going to be so much stronger in the attack with him. We’re going to increase, a lot, our chances of scoring goals and creating opportunities. So that's the magic.”

FC Dallas also announced former Ligue 2 center-back Osaze Urhogidhe, a high-profile center-back addition which will aid the MLS experience they’ve added with center-back Lalas Abubakar, midfielder Leo Chu and USMNT defender Shaq Moore.

As much as the new players and Acosta help, Dallas has holdover confidence between the sticks with Maarten Paes, who won the 2024 MLS Save of the Year and remains with contributing midfielders in Lletget and 21-year-old Patrickson Delgado.

It will be challenging for the team to gel quickly, especially after adding Acosta less than two weeks before their Feb. 22 Copa Tejas MLS opener against the Houston Dynamo. Still, Dallas made themselves relevant in the West heading into 2024 after a poor 2024.

Will Evander fit in quickly with FC Cincinnati?

Evander comes into FC Cincinnati with hopes of perfectly replacing Luciano Acosta. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Ideally, this won’t change much for Pat Noonan and FC Cincinnati. In their perfect situation, Evander steps right in and fills the void left by Acosta while building quick chemistry with Denkey.

Midway through 2024, Evander had made inroads to be considered an MLS MVP, leading Portland’s attacking trio of him, Felipe Mora and Jonathan Rodriguez, to each score at least 10 goals and 10 assists.

Evander, a 26-year-old Brazilian attacking midfielder, finished with 15 goals and 19 assists––tied with Acosta––while making 3.2 key passes per game, which is not incredibly far off Acosta.

Should Noonan stick to the 3-4-1-2, he ended Cincy’s 2024 in 2025; Denkey should slide in quite simply, working in a strike partnership with Luca Orellano and Evander fitting into the attacking midfield role.

With the drama of the Acosta situation behind them, Cincinnati can move on and harness its continued star power for a 2025 season that it hopes will continue its success in its first five seasons.

Timbers move on with potential learning curve for Da Costa

Da Costa comes to MLS at 24, but will have to get used to the rigors of soccer in America. / IMAGO / ANP

Portland quickly filled the hole left by Evander with 24-year-old attacking midfielder David da Costa. While highly touted, Da Costa has not experienced the rigors of MLS.

Coming over from RC Lens in Ligue 1, Da Costa’s agility and quickness continue Evander’s dynamic play in midfield, and at his best, he can play among the standouts in Ligue 1. While he will likely take up a midfield role, he’s also played on the wing in the past.

With 11 games under his belt this season, he comes into Portland’s setup completely match fit, unlike Acosta and Evander, who haven’t been full participants in their club’s entire preseasons.

While his one assist this season doesn’t stand out, his move to a lower level in MLS should allow him to contribute more. He will benefit from experienced attackers in Rodriguez and Mora while still developing at 24.

Several of Lens’s recent outbound transfers have proven successful, with Seko Fofana and Loïs Openda leaving the club in past windows after meeting Da Costa in France.

As the third-most expensive signing in Timbers’ MLS history, Da Costa will be under immense pressure to match Evander’s contributions in 2025. Still, given the travel, league size, and parity throughout the league, he will likely have the learning curve that many Europeans have when entering MLS.

After getting thrashed in the MLS Cup Playoffs Wild Card game, 5-0 to Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Phil Neville’s Timbers will hope their attacking success can repeat with Da Costa while tightening up a defense that surrendered 56 goals in 2024.

When will Acosta, Evander, and da Costa debut?

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