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Oceanside, Calif. • With his parents working and living in the United States, a young Danilo Acosta waited years for his shot to be reunited. Time passed in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, each year going by, each year Acosta staying a bit longer in Honduras, living with his grandparents.

Finally, at the age of 12, Acosta moved to the U.S. But being reunited with his parents in Utah was short-lived. Soccer got in the way.

As Acosta grew into a sizable young defender, the attention followed. At 15, he was spotted and later received an invite to play at Real Salt Lake's Arizona-based academy in Casa Grande, Ariz. That was the summer of 2013. Acosta said he spent roughly a year-and-a-half in Utah living with his parents before presented with the opportunity, one that would distance them once more.

"It's more about sacrifices in life," he said. "You have to make sacrifices to be where you want to be. It wasn't easy. But I had to learn some stuff. My dream was to play as a professional, and I had to go chase it. It had to start somewhere and it started at the academy."

Acosta was a part of the RSL U-18 squad that went 37-4-4 in 2014-15. A year ago, he made three appearances with the Real Monarchs in their first USL season as a franchise. In 2014, he made an appearance in the RSL reserve league.Three days before ringing in 2016, Acosta was signed as RSL's 10th-ever Homegrown player after two-and-a-half years at the RSL academy.

Having turned 18 in November, Acosta stands a sturdy 5-foot-11 and is projected as either a center back or holding midfield in the future. As the Homegrown system in Major League Soccer continues to churn out high-quality talents, expectations of academy products are rising among fans and front-office types throughout the league.Acosta is trying his best to ignore the outside noise.

"I just stay quiet," he said. "When it's my time, I take advantage of it. Other than that, I'm just here to learn because I'm still young. Even if I'm a Homegrown player, if I don't get minutes or not, I will still work my butt off on the field and off the field to try to get some minutes in the first team."

In his first week as a professional in Oceanside, he's studying the likes of Kyle Beckerman and Javier Morales.

"Attitude, character, they're hard-working, they don't like to lose," Acosta said. "They always tell me do this, do this and that. I listen."

Does he have a preferred position as he progresses?

"I actually don't," he said. "As long as the coaches tell me, 'I'm going to put you right there,' I'm going to do the best that I can do … as of right now, it's fine if Jeff [Cassar] puts me at center back, holding mid, left back, I'll try my best."

Jordan Allen, midfield creator

Jeff Cassar gave Jordan Allen his first start at the offensive midfield role in RSL's 4-3-3 formation in Saturday's preseason exhibition against San Diego State. Entering his third season at RSL, the 20-year-old academy product has seen minutes all over the field in his short pro career: As a wide forward, central midfielder and as a right back.

After RSL topped SDSU 1-0, Cassar said Allen dropped a bit too deep into the midfield at times.

"Really you want him distributing the ball, not starting our attack," Cassar explained. "We want him finishing our attack, and making final balls. I thought he came back a little too deep, but listen, he wants to get on the ball and create, so how can we get him on the ball and creating in the right spots?"

Allen will no doubt need to pick the brain of Morales this preseason if he is to spell RSL's longtime playmaker at the offensive point in the midfield throughout the 2016 season.

"I think he can maybe make some more runs in behind a little bit more than Javier," Cassar said. "Obviously Javier's final ball and understanding of the game is at another level."

Injury updates

Nick Rimando's lingering right knee injury in 2015 turned out to be a meniscus tear. RSL's goalkeeper underwent successful surgery on Nov. 5, and had the entire offseason to rehab and get back to feeling tip-top shape. The 36-year-old record holder for most shutouts in regular-season history said his knee is finally there.

"I strained my calf a little bit during the offseason during some conditioning things we had, but [I'm] 100 percent back from that," he said. "Last week, I was running, and this week I've been on the field for all the practices, so feel good."

Cassar said forward Joao Plata reported "very fit" last week, but experienced some tightness in his quadriceps during fitness testing. RSL erred on the side of caution Saturday, keeping Plata out of the friendly against SDSU. Cassar said Plata trained fully Friday morning and is expected to train fully Monday as well.

New signing Emery Welshman is dealing with a lingering hip flexor injury that he initially suffered last season with this Monarchs. Cassar said the 24-year-old striker is expected to train Monday.

-Chris Kamrani

Twitter: @chriskamrani