USMNT midfielder Kellyn Acosta passes the ball during a 5-0 win over Grenada on June 10 (courtesy: US Soccer)

USMNT midfielder Kellyn Acosta poses with members of the U.S. amputee soccer team (credit: Israel Sanchez)

The U.S. amputee soccer team is pictured (credit: Carl Calabria)

WILMINGTON, DE, UNITED STATES, July 19, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Team USA is thrilled to announce U.S. men’s national soccer team and Los Angeles FC midfielder Kellyn Acosta as its first official ambassador, amid preparations for this fall’s Amputee Soccer World Cup in Istanbul, Turkey.

Acosta, 26, is a 10-year veteran of Major League Soccer, having also played for FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids. He has registered 52 appearances for the USMNT, which he recently helped qualify for its own upcoming World Cup, in Qatar.

“Soccer is a sport that we all love so much and compete in. It truly unites people around the world in whatever fashion it's played,” Acosta said. “I've had a chance to meet with a few of the U.S. Amputee Soccer team athletes. It's exciting to both be on a similar journey heading into the World Cups this fall.”

“For starters, the level of competition is incredible and the amputee soccer matches are a great viewing experience,” he added. “Amputee soccer has gained more awareness in other countries around the world, and it's time to really put the sport and the team on the map in the U.S. It's an exciting time for U.S. Soccer in general, with the Amputee Football World Cup just one month before the FIFA World Cup. I'm excited to support one another heading into the fall.”

Team USA qualified for the World Cup, to be held Sept. 30-Oct. 9, by placing second at a regional tournament in Jalisco, Mexico, in March. Playing four games in as many days, Team USA secured a 2-1-1 record to finish behind only Haiti and ahead of Mexico, which placed fourth at the 2018 World Cup. Team captain Nico Calabria, of Boston, Mass., was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Team USA includes players from California, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas. With such a geographically diverse roster, the U.S. is holding training camps in five locations before the World Cup. The team recently received the support of a private family foundation that will match up to $100,000 in contributions to help it compete in the World Cup.

Codified in 1980 by Seattle native Don Bennett, amputee soccer is played on a ¾-size pitch with seven players to a side. Field players use forearm crutches and may play the ball with only one leg. Goalkeepers defend a 7’x16’ net and may use only one arm.

Sponsors can help send Team USA to Turkey via sponsorship@usampsoccer.org. Donations are welcome online.

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The AASA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Learn more about us at www.usampsoccer.org.

Dr. Eric Lamberg
American Amputee Soccer Association
+1 516-526-1244
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