Kellyn Acosta could be a key player for the USMNT this summer

U.S. Soccer has released the USMNT roster for upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico, and it suggests 21-year-old Kellyn Acosta will have a big role to play.

Long-serving midfielders Jermaine Jones and Kyle Beckerman are out of the squad, as are Sacha Kljestan and Bruce Arena favorite Sebastian Lletget. That puts Acosta in competition with Alejandro Bedoya and Darlington Nagbe for a starting spot, and both players have spent more time out wide or in an advanced role than in the center of midfield, for both the USMNT and their clubs.

Acosta has impressed in his small handful of USMNT appearances, and he’s been one of the best players in MLS this season. Previously thought of as just a defensive player, he’s expanded his range of passing. And his club coach at FC Dallas, Oscar Pareja, is impressed with what he’s added to his game.

“He sees himself now as a box-to-box player,” Pareja told ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle in March. “I think that is important. When a player is convinced about the position that he’s playing, [and the one] I like to see him, that is the first step to being more mature in the game.”

As Michael Bradley settles into more of a holding role for the USMNT, the best partner for him is probably going to be an athletic runner with a variety of skills, and Acosta fits the bill perfectly.

Here’s a stunner from Acosta in CONCACAF Champions League. (@CONCACAF)

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AC Milan has signed defender Mateo Musacchio. (Milan Offside)

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Bruce Arena has named Tim Howard as his No. 1 goalkeeeper. (MLS)

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