Standing on the field at Levi's Stadium almost exactly a year ago, Kellyn Acosta had to feel on top of the world. He had just started in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup final, a U.S. national team victory over Jamaica, and the champagne and gold medal were the perfect caps to an impressive run that saw him become a USMNT regular. A month prior, Acosta was in the starting lineup for a crucial World Cup qualifier against Mexico in Estadio Azteca, and he drew praise for his performance in a 1-1 draw that day.
Acosta had every reason to feel like his career was skyrocketing, and things were only going to get better.