Why did Nashville SC bet on Bryan Acosta? The MLS veteran faces high expectations | OneFootball

Nashville SC announced the signing of Bryan Acosta, a Honduran midfielder with international experience and a respectable MLS resume. At 31, Acosta joins on a contract through 2025, with an option for 2026, promising to bring consistency and vision to a midfield in transition. The question is whether he's the right choice to lead this rebuild or just another piece in a structure still seeking balance.

Acosta's arrival is a third midfield addition this offseason after Edvard Tagseth and Gastón Brugman. Investment in rebuilding of a sector really struggling for much consistency and creative flair in 2024 is patently obvious as Nashville SC finished 13th in the Eastern Conference-one where it is clear that things needed to dramatically change.

But is Acosta the kind of player who can change a team's fortunes? On paper, yes. Over stints with three MLS clubs, he accumulated 107 games with two goals and 10 assists. He's not the kind of player who takes center stage but works efficiently behind the scenes.

Experience and leadership

Acosta brings proven success with the Honduran national team, including leading Los Catrachos as captain at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, finishing a historic fourth, one of the best places that Honduran soccer has reached in recent decades. Adding to his experience are his 69 caps with the senior team, making him an obvious choice for leader.

But is experience and leadership enough? In soccer, the past counts for something, but the present weighs heavier. At 31, Acosta is no longer any kind of rising talent. How successful he is in Nashville will depend on how coach BJ Callaghan uses him inside of a structure that still does not have any clear tactical identity.

Acosta's tactical role

As such, General Manager Mike Jacobs pinned Acosta's ability to win balls and create plays as the reason for his signing. This could mean he assumes a hybrid role, fluctuating between a classical defensive midfielder and a deep-lying playmaker.

But that will depend on who his partner will be in the midfield. The signing of Brugman and Tagseth shows that Callaghan is going for dynamism in that sector, but the chemistry will be important. If there is no cohesion, then the midfield will continue to be the weak link, which Nashville cannot afford again.

BJ Callaghan under pressure

For BJ Callaghan, in his first full season as head coach with Nashville SC, 2025 is going to be a defining test, showing whether he can not only reshape the roster but transform it, too. Acosta's signing is part of a clear strategy to make amends for past issues with experience and versatility.

But time is short. Callaghan will have precious few opportunities to integrate those pieces before the Feb. 22 season opener against the New England Revolution. A good start will be important to appease restless fans who grew agitated with last year's poor result.