Diego Luna: 5 lesser-known facts about USMNT star ahead of Gold Cup final
'Big balls,' coach Mauricio Pochettino told FOX post-game. 'He showed great character.'
Given his performance in the tournament, here are five lesser-known facts about the USNMT star that fans would be intrigued to know ahead of the Gold Cup Final:
An unconventional path
Luna's path to the USMNT was anything but usual. Rather than going the traditional route of MLS academies or European clubs, he chose to leave his family and home in Sunnyvale, California at age 15 in order to join the Barcelona Residency Academy in Arizona. He then signed with El Paso Locomotive in the USL Championship three years later before joining Real Salt Lake in 2022, as per FOX Sports.
He had to work on his defense strategy
As part of the El Paso Locomotive at age 18, his Real Salt Lake coach Pablo Mastroeni urged him to commit to defending and working both sides of the ball rather than just being an attacking player. He recalled he would frequently say, 'You're not Messi' to FOX Sports. After working on it for more than three years, Mastroeni now feels confident in Luna's style and ability. 'He's engaged defensively, but he's also scanning defensively and he's playing cat and mouse. He's made that his own craft and he's really, really good at that,' he said to FOX Sports.
Mental health struggles and therapy
Staying away from home and the weight of competitive pressure at a young age crumbled Luna from within and he ultimately resorted to seeking therapy which he feels made 'an automatic difference'. Within a week, there was a change in mentality with [my] emotions and feelings and how I felt internally, which allowed me to be free and mentally clear when performing on the field. Therapy is a great tool and I think that's something a lot of people shouldn't be afraid to do,' he recalled to FOX Sports.
Worked at a local Dutch Bros coffee shop
Not only is he skilled on the field, but Luna also tried to keep himself occupied during periods of lull by taking up a secondary job as a barista at a local Dutch Bros coffee shop. Mastroeni feels the move was more to help Luna break the barrier and communicate better with people than any monetary gains, which were quite meagre. He shared with FOX Sports, 'It was just about getting to know people in town and feeling a part of the community.' Due to his busy schedule in 2023, Luna had to drop his free outlet as a barista to focus on his primary goals instead.
Snubbed from Paris Olympics 2024
Pochettino enlisting Luna for the Nations League Final in March raised many eyebrows, not just for the obvious ignorance towards more established players but also due to Luna being snubbed in the U-23 roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics just recently. Despite being named MLS Player of the Matchday after producing 1g/3a in a 5-2 rout of Atlanta United and bearing the record for third-most assists (12) in MLS, his snub from the team left many shocked. "He's such an immense talent. It's really hard to understand how he's not on that plane,' wrote MLS Season Pass analyst Calen Carr. Later, Luna also opted out of being one of the four alternates for the France tournament.
By Stuti Gupta
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