January camp has served as an important barometer in the career of Kellyn Acosta. The midfielder made his U.S. Men’s National Team debut at the end of the 2016 edition and he used that experience as a launching pad to establish himself as a regular for the USMNT.
January 2019 provided a tougher lesson. While he earned a call-up, Acosta stood as one of four players cut from the squad before its two matches, the first games of head coach Gregg Berhalter’s tenure.
While that omission kicked off nearly two years away from the National Team, Acosta refocused to fight his way back into the USMNT picture. Now fresh of his first National Team action in 25 months, Acosta has made his way back to January camp. Just 25 years old, he will look to stake his claim as an essential part of the senior team once again.
“It was definitely a tough spell for me,” Acosta said. “It was just the mental aspect: I needed to buckle down and work harder and do the things that coach asked of me. Like any player, you experience obstacles. I've gone into camps not clear-minded, I wasn't sure what my future held, all these things were kind of clouding my play.
