Laken Litman
School Soccer & Soccer Analyst
Editor’s be aware: Diego Luna has two targets for the U.S. within the Gold Cup semifinals. This story was initially revealed on Could 22.
Diego Luna wasn’t about to let a damaged nostril smash his alternative.
Within the first quarter-hour of a United States males’s nationwide crew pleasant in opposition to Costa Rica in January, Luna took an elbow to the face which broke his nostril. This coaching camp was his first underneath Mauricio Pochettino, who was employed because the USMNT’s head coach final September. Luna, with just one cap to his title on the time, understood this was an enormous second to make an impression on a brand new teaching workers forward of two pivotal years: the USMNT can be competing within the Concacaf Nations League Finals and the 2025 Gold Cup earlier than co-hosting the 2026 World Cup.
So when the 21-year-old attacking midfielder ran over to the sideline with a bloody nostril, he pleaded with Pochettino to let him keep within the recreation.
“I may nonetheless run, I may nonetheless play soccer, I may nonetheless see, so I simply advised them, ‘Not less than let me play till halftime after which I’ll come out,’ Luna lately defined to FOX Sports activities.
The U.S. supervisor checked with crew docs, who stuffed Luna’s nostril with gauze and despatched him again onto the pitch. Moments later, Luna slipped a move to Brian White who scored the Individuals’ opening aim in a 3-0 victory.
Luna was subbed off at halftime and ultimately went to the hospital for surgical procedure. He grew to become a cult hero within the course of.
“Massive balls,” Pochettino advised the printed post-game with a chuckle. “He confirmed nice character.”
Luna’s effort was rewarded when Pochettino known as him up for the Nations League Finals in March. His inclusion raised some eyebrows, particularly since Pochettino selected him over extra acquainted faces like Brenden Aaronson and Alex Zendejas. Luna hadn’t even made the principally U-23 roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics final summer time, however used that as motivation, and clearly Pochettino has favored what he’s seen.
Luna was a shiny spot for one more in any other case disappointing efficiency by the USMNT on the Nations League, the primary time in 4 editions that they had didn’t win it. He began and performed the total 90 minutes in opposition to Canada within the third-match place and arrange the Individuals’ solely aim with a nifty help to Patrick Agyemang. Afterward, Pochettino singled Luna out whereas discussing upcoming roster selections he’ll need to make.
“The need and the starvation that he confirmed is what we would like,” Pochettino mentioned. “And that isn’t to say something in opposition to the remainder of the [team], it’s just one instance. Once I advised him he was going to play, he was prepared. And after taking part in properly or not taking part in properly, scoring or aiding or not, that’s what we wish to see and that’s the instance for me that we have to take.”
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Luna is now a part of the USMNT‘s 27-player camp roster forward of this summer time’s Gold Cup, which is the final main event the squad will play in earlier than the 2026 World Cup. How a lot he’ll play, how he’ll match within the assault, and the place he stands amongst the competitors in his place is a query. Minutes-wise, Luna might profit from the truth that Gio Reyna won’t be a part of the USMNT’s Gold Cup roster attributable to the truth that his membership, Borussia Dortmund, might be taking part within the FIFA Membership World Cup on the similar time. Tim Weah and Weston McKennie, who play for Juventus, face the identical battle.
Luna is in high kind. His star is rising. And he’s a assured and inventive playmaker who has endeared himself to Pochettino. Now, he has an opportunity to turn out to be the sort of star the USMNT desperately must make a deep run this summer time – and presumably earn a roster spot for the 2026 World Cup.
“He’ll run by means of a wall to play soccer,” Actual Salt Lake coach Pablo Mastroeni, who has coached Luna since 2022, advised FOX Sports activities. “I feel that toughness, and that grit, and skill to beat and persevere, I feel it’s a void that the nationwide crew is seeking to fill and I feel with Diego Luna, you’re all the time going to get a canine.”
Espresso and remedy: Luna’s path to the USMNT
Pochettino values toughness in gamers. He’s from Argentina and spent his managerial profession in Europe earlier than becoming a member of the USMNT. He expects gamers to battle, get again on protection and do no matter it takes to win.
These qualities could seem apparent at this degree, however not everybody has them. After an underwhelming displaying at Nations League in March – which included flat performances in losses to Panama and Canada – U.S. gamers had been closely criticized for being complacent and missing pleasure.
Luna was an exception, possible due partly to the unconventional path he’s taken to get up to now. Luna left his household and his dwelling in Sunnyvale, Calif. (the place he performed for the San Jose Earthquakes academy) at age 15 to affix the Barcelona Residency Academy in Arizona. Three years later, he signed with El Paso Locomotive within the USL Championship earlier than becoming a member of RSL in 2022.
Luna needed to earn his spot there. Then 18 years previous, he moved to a metropolis he’d by no means been to with none buddies or household. He felt misplaced. He wasn’t taking part in. He didn’t really feel a part of the group. In conversations with Mastroeni these early days, the coach advised Luna that he was technical and proficient, however wanted to decide to defending and work each side of the ball. “He’d say, ‘You may’t simply be an attacking participant. You’re not Messi,” Luna recalled.
Luna took all these irritating issues into his personal palms. For one, he labored on his defensive presence. It took a while, however now three years later, Mastroeni mentioned Luna has “greater than surpassed my expectations. He’s engaged defensively, however he’s additionally scanning defensively and he’s taking part in cat and mouse. He’s made that his personal craft and he’s actually, actually good at that.”
Second, Luna sought remedy to deal with psychological well being struggles that had been effervescent since he first moved away from dwelling at a younger age. The burden of expectations – to attain targets each recreation, to get known as as much as the nationwide crew – created inside stress.
“Think about being a younger child and also you gotta stay by yourself, earn cash and be sure you’re performing as a result of if not, you don’t know the place you’re going to finish up or what’s going to occur subsequent,” Luna mentioned. “That’s robust not having steerage from your loved ones there with you each step.”
Luna mentioned he wished he’d began remedy sooner, however “as quickly as I dedicated, you would see an computerized [difference]. Inside every week, there was a change in mentality with [my] feelings and emotions and the way I felt internally, which allowed me to be free and mentally clear when acting on the sphere. Remedy is a good instrument and I feel that’s one thing lots of people shouldn’t be afraid to do.”
Third, Luna discovered a technique to overcome loneliness. As a result of he wasn’t taking part in a lot at the start, he had extra free time on his palms. Quite than go dwelling to an empty home after coaching, he determined to get a second job at an area Dutch Bros espresso store the place he thought he would possibly be capable of make some buddies and work on his social expertise.
Not solely did he grasp whipping up an iced Golden Eagle – Dutch Bros’ hottest drink that is much like a caramel vanilla latte – however for the 9 months he labored there, Luna acquired higher at making eye contact with folks and speaking.
Mastroeni can’t recall ever having a participant with a part-time job, particularly given the salaries present MLS gamers make, nevertheless it wasn’t in regards to the cash for Luna. “It was nearly attending to know folks on the town and feeling part of the neighborhood,” Mastroeni mentioned.
Forward of the 2023 season, Luna had stopped making espresso however continued his remedy (and nonetheless goes to today). He scored 5 targets that season and labored his approach into the beginning lineup. In 2024, by then an everyday RSL starter, Luna scored eight targets, added 12 assists and was named an All-Star and MLS’ Younger Participant of the 12 months. He’s been on a scorching streak in 2025, scoring seven targets to date, together with six within the final eight video games. On April 5, USMNT assistant coach Miki D’Agostino was within the crowd and noticed Luna bag a brace inside 5 minutes in a 2-0 win over the LA Galaxy.
“He’s not solely a terrific pupil of soccer, however he’s a terrific pupil of life and I feel he’s mature past his years,” Mastroeni mentioned. “He’s so pushed and he’s keen to vary with a purpose to obtain. His adaptability is thru the roof.
“And I feel that is all actually manifesting to be part of the 2026 [World Cup] crew as a result of he’s dependable and he’s obsessed with his soccer. He defends, however not as a result of the coach asks him to. He defends as a result of now he actually enjoys defending and understands that if he does his job greater up the sphere after we win the ball, he’s going to be in positions to do his factor in transition.”
‘A particular sort of participant’
Luna continues to be largely unknown to the informal U.S. Soccer fan, however his taking part in type has not gone unnoticed by a few of the different extra recognized stars on the squad. And all people all the time has the identical factor to say about him: that he brings one thing “totally different.”
“He’s an superior child, man. He brings somewhat one thing totally different,” Christian Pulisic mentioned of Luna after taking part in with him throughout the Nations League matches. “He’s acquired coronary heart. I like the way in which he performs and he’s acquired an enormous future forward.”
Tyler Adams noticed one thing related.
“He’s a particular sort of participant,” Adams mentioned this spring. “I feel in as we speak’s recreation, these artistic gamers, you’re discovering much less and fewer of them. A No. 10 man that may play on the wing as properly. He simply offers one thing totally different to the crew.”
Possibly it’s his physique sort – Luna is barrel-chested and listed at 5’8″, 187 lbs. Possibly it’s his eccentric look – he’s acquired a variety of tattoos from the neck down and all the time has a cool hair-do.
Possibly it’s his technical capacity and the way he can beat guys one-v-one and mix out of tight areas. Or perhaps it’s his fearlessness and dogged mentality.
“Thats simply in my DNA and the way I grew up,” Luna mentioned. “I used to be all the time taking part in up ages, all the time taking part in with larger, stronger, quicker youngsters, all the time being pushed by my household, all the time having the ball at my ft. Soccer is in my blood. It’s what I stay for.”
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For Mastroeni, it’s extra of this: “Once I was watching [the last USMNT match vs. Canada], as the sport started to sort of wane and the blokes started to fatigue somewhat bit, there was nonetheless one man on the market urgent the goalkeeper and getting after it. For me, ‘totally different’ is being labeled an attacking participant however having the grit and the will to wish to work defensively for a crew.”
This summer time, Luna could have one other prove-it alternative to showcase his expertise and additional cement himself into Pochettino’s 2026 World Cup plans. He’s not overthinking something, however as an alternative reminding himself to work “my butt off.”
“I’m simply having enjoyable,” Luna mentioned. “I’m working arduous, ensuring I’m doing what I have to do on each side of the ball, after which let my creativity [flow] and categorical myself and that’s it. From there, issues can occur and that’s out of my management.”
Laken Litman covers school soccer, school basketball and soccer for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand wrote for Sports activities Illustrated, USA At present and The Indianapolis Star. She is the creator of “Sturdy Like a Girl,” revealed in spring 2022 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Title IX. Observe her at @LakenLitman.
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