Floridian Rookies Series: Joaquín Acuña

From Naples to Southern California, an Argentine-American with Big Dreams

Born: May 16, 2003

Current Team: AV Alta FC

Connection to Florida: a Naples, FL-native, he played his entire youth career in the state before starting at the professional level in southern California

While his story may not be familiar to people outside of certain circles in Floridian soccer, Joaquín Acuña is steadily making a name for himself. Having recently turned professional, the Naples-native is proving that staying off the beaten track can still get you where you want to go. He has, in fact, paved a road that took him from youth to college to professional soccer, starting with his first contract in southern California.

Playing for local club Azzurri Storm, Acuña laid down a marker in high school by scoring 74 goals in three years. His exploits were such that colleges became interested, and around August of 2020, he signed on to join the University of North Florida. He began play there in the fall of 2021 after the Covid pandemic the year before. At UNF, Acuña was an immediate starter and carried on through all four years he competed. He led the Ospreys in scoring three out of four years there and didn’t forget to pass on a few assists as well.

While his early numbers in Jacksonville didn’t necessarily stand out, he truly exploded his senior year with ten over the whole campaign. Hitting double digits helped the Ospreys win the ASUN men’s soccer championship. It was the first time they’d done so since 2015, and meant they went from bottom of the ASUN to champions in the space of a year. After being named the Player of the Week multiple times, Acuña was unanimously selected for the All-ASUN 1st Team for the 2024 season - hardly surprising given where they were in 2023.

Although he went undrafted by Major League Soccer this past January, he still had interest in playing professionally. Luckily, that interest was mutual with AV Alta, a brand new club starting life in the USL League 1. He joined in February, signing on for what would be the first ever campaign at the pro level for both him and his new team. Playing alongside established USL veterans, including former US men’s national team winger Miguel Ibarra, Acuña is still working his way into the team after making his debut in March against South Georgia Tormenta. He also made appearances in the US Open Cup before scoring his first goal for AV Alta from the penalty spot to give them a 3-2 win over Chattanooga Red Wolves in mid-April.

Life in a senior professional setting is difficult, and Acuña hasn’t played since that game. However, AV Alta noted upon their signing him that he’s “known for his powerful play, relentless work rate, and clinical finishing.” With many more games left in both league and USL Jagermeister Cup play, it’s likely that the rookie will work his way back into the lineup before the season ends. His determination is evident in his career trajectory so far; it surely won’t let him down now that he’s made it to the big time.