kids encyclopedia robot

Kellyn Acosta facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Kellyn Acosta
Kellyn Acosta (cropped).jpg
Acosta with FC Dallas in 2013
Personal information
Full name Kellyn Kai Perry-Acosta
Date of birth (1995-07-24) July 24, 1995 (age 29)
Place of birth Plano, Texas, United States
Height 5 feet 10 inches (1.77 m)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current club Chicago Fire
Number 23
Youth career
2009–2013 FC Dallas
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2013–2018 FC Dallas 117 (9)
2018–2021 Colorado Rapids 79 (7)
2022–2023 Los Angeles FC 56 (2)
2024– Chicago Fire 34 (3)
National team‡
2010–2011 United States U17 18 (0)
2012 United States U18 4 (0)
2013–2015 United States U20 15 (0)
2016 United States U23 2 (0)
2016–2023 United States 58 (2)
Honours
Representing  United States
Men's soccer
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Winner 2017 United States
Winner 2021 United States
CONCACAF Nations League
Winner 2021 United States
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of October 19, 2024.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of April 19, 2023

Kellyn Kai Perry-Acosta (born July 24, 1995) is an American professional soccer player. He plays as a midfielder for the Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire.

Early Life and Background

Kellyn Acosta grew up in Plano, Texas. His father is Japanese American and his mother is African American. His grandmother on his father's side is Japanese. The name Acosta comes from his Mexican step-father.

Growing up, Kellyn lived in a neighborhood that was mostly white. He sometimes tried to hide his Japanese background. This was because he wanted to fit in and avoid confused looks or teasing about his multiethnic family.

Club Career Highlights

Playing for FC Dallas

Kellyn Acosta joined the FC Dallas Development Academy. He was planning to play soccer at the University of Maryland. But in July 2012, he signed with FC Dallas as a "homegrown" player. This meant he could play for the team he grew up with.

He started playing for the first team in August 2013. His first full season was in 2014, but a knee injury kept him from playing much. Kellyn first played as a fullback. Later, in 2015, he became a starting defensive midfielder.

Time with Colorado Rapids

On July 23, 2018, Kellyn moved to the Colorado Rapids. He quickly became a key player for them. He started all 12 league games after joining the team. He scored two goals and made three assists.

In 2019, Kellyn had a great season. He started 30 games, which was a career high for him. He scored two goals and had two assists that year. In 2020, he helped the Rapids reach the playoffs. He scored the winning goal in a game against Portland Timbers.

Joining Los Angeles FC

On January 14, 2022, Kellyn Acosta moved to Los Angeles FC. This was a big move for him. He helped Los Angeles FC win the MLS Cup and the Supporters' Shield in 2022.

Playing for Chicago Fire

In February 2024, Kellyn Acosta signed with Chicago Fire. He joined them as a free agent. He signed a three-year contract with the team.

International Career for the United States

Kellyn Acosta was born in the United States. He could have played for Japan, Puerto Rico, or the United States. He chose to play for the USA. He played in the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup and the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He was the youngest player on the U.S. team at the U-20 World Cup.

He made his first game for the senior U.S. team in January 2016. In July 2017, he scored his first goal for the national team. It was a free kick against Ghana. He helped the U.S. win the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Kellyn became a very important player for the U.S. team. In 2021, he played in 21 out of 22 possible games for the national team. This was the most by any player since 1994. He was a key player in the team's journey to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He played in 13 out of 14 qualifying games.

At the 2022 World Cup, Kellyn made history. He became the first Asian American man to play for the United States in a World Cup. He played in games against Wales and Iran. In January 2023, he was even the captain for a game against Colombia.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League U.S. Open Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
FC Dallas 2013 MLS 13 0 0 0 — — 13 0
2014 15 0 0 0 — 1 0 16 0
2015 21 3 2 1 — 3 0 26 4
2016 32 2 5 0 3 0 2 0 42 2
2017 23 3 0 0 4 3 — 27 6
2018 13 1 2 0 — — 15 1
Total 117 9 9 1 7 3 6 0 139 13
Colorado Rapids 2018 MLS 12 2 0 0 — — 12 2
2019 31 2 1 0 — — 32 2
2020 15 2 — — 1 0 16 2
2021 21 1 — — 1 0 22 1
Total 79 7 1 0 — 2 0 82 7
Los Angeles FC 2022 MLS 32 2 3 0 — 3 1 38 3
2023 24 0 0 0 7 1 8 0 39 1
Total 56 2 3 0 7 1 11 1 77 4
Chicago Fire 2024 MLS 34 3 — — 2 0 36 3
Career total 286 21 13 1 14 4 21 1 334 27

International Appearances and Goals

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
United States 2016 4 0
2017 13 1
2018 6 1
2020 1 0
2021 21 0
2022 10 0
2023 3 0
Total 58 2
Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Acosta goal.
List of international goals scored by Kellyn Acosta
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 July 1, 2017 Rentschler Field, East Hartford, United States  Ghana 2–0 2–1 Friendly
2 October 11, 2018 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, United States  Colombia 1–1 2–4 Friendly

Honors and Achievements

FC Dallas

Los Angeles FC

United States U17

  • CONCACAF U-17 Championship: 2011

United States

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Kellyn Acosta para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Kellyn Acosta Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.