Kellyn Acosta is hoping his move to the Colorado Rapids will help him recover the love of soccer he'd lost at FC Dallas after admitting on Tuesday he "wasn't enjoying" the game the way he'd hoped with his former team.
"I think in Dallas, I wasn't enjoying the football the way I was wanting to. I think a change of scenery will help me. Changes like that are difficult, but this challenge will benefit me," Acosta told the Denver Post.
Acosta, 22, had spent his entire career with FCD, debuting with the first team as an 18-year-old in 2013 and had become an important part of the U.S. national team, appearing in World Cup qualifiers and the CONCACAF Gold Cup last year.
Acosta was shipped to the Colorado Rapids in exchange for forward Dominique Badji earlier this week, setting the stage for a new chapter in his career.
"Things just weren't going in the direction that I wanted them to. There was the injury [sports hernia], and then just doing the same routine over and over just took a toll mentally and physically," Acosta told the outlet about his lack of enjoyment with Dallas.
"For me to get back to what I do best, I needed to put that phase of my life behind me and start a new chapter."
The trade did not come as a surprise for Acosta, however. He'd been speaking with the club about a possible move before the deal was struck.
He said: "I had conversations with [FC Dallas reps] and expressed how I was feeling. I was open and honest, and they understood that I had been there for quite some time, and that's how the game goes.
"It was a tough decision for me to open up to them about that, but at the same time, I had to open myself up for me to play the style and quality of football that I want to play. Being in Colorado is going to bring the best out of me and I think I made the right decision."
One of those who also think the change of teams was the right decision for Acosta is former U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard, who has been impressed by what he's seen from the promising American.
"He could go to Europe tomorrow. He has that type of talent," the Colorado keeper said of Acosta. "The things we'd like him to do -- and he will -- is be focused and dialed in. Be part of our group, be part of winning, and then let the executives take care of the rest."