Recognized as the 2024 MLS Young Player of the Year, Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna had something to prove as a member of Mauricio Pochettino’s 2025 January camp.
Starting the second friendly of a two-match schedule this past week, Luna assisted Brian White on the opening goal en route to a 3-0 victory over Costa Rica.
Luna did this while getting crunched in the nose. With blood gushing and cotton balls shoved up both nostrils, he played the remainder of the half with a broken nose before being subbed at halftime. Pochettino specifically praised Luna — recounting how Luna begged to stay in the match leading to the assist.
Zack Steffen had a host of noteworthy saves. American striker Patrick Agyemang bagged his second goal in two games. Both figure to be potential options moving forward once the European-based players are back in the mix.
However, Luna’s desire to perform at a high level was perhaps the most noteworthy facet of the win. MLS fans had been begging for Luna to get a shot with the National Team. He’s atypical of the traditional American player born, raised, and bred within the States.
Luna resembles that of a gritty, physical CONMEBOL player. He’s short in stature, though barrel-chested, stout, and built low to the ground. It’s hard to knock him off the ball with such a low center of gravity. Luna is quick, decisive, aggressive, and highly skilled. He also plays with a visible passion.
Now, it’s unlikely he’d beat out the likes of Christian Pulisic or Gio Reyna when the entire group is together at full strength. Having said that, there’s undeniable talent here — and it would be fascinating to see Luna get his chance to perform with a higher caliber of teammates.
At the very worst, there’s a world in which Luna can easily compete with someone akin to Brenden Aaronson. With further visibility on a bigger stage, a strong performance could even lead to Luna snagging a job across the pond in Europe.
