(Monday, April 7, 2025) – For the second time this season, RSL playmaker Diego Luna is recognized by Major League Soccer for his weekend heroics, again named to Matchday 7’s fictional XI.
Saturday afternoon in Sandy, Luna needed just five minutes midway through the first half to bag his second career brace, leading RSL to a 2-0 lead, one which would hold for the final result against the reigning MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy as the Claret-and-Cobalt snapped a two-game slide.
Quite the eventful weekend culminates for Luna with the MLS honor today, as the 21-year-old was recognized Friday night by the Utah Sports Commission – an extension of the Governor’s office as part of Utah’s “State of Sport” proclamation – as the 2024 Male Professional Athlete of the Year.
With family from California and Texas in tow to both the Friday awards ceremony and Saturday’s matinee, perhaps it was the presence of another guest – U.S. Men’s National Team assistant coach Miguel D’Agostino, in town to watch Luna and January USMNT teammate Emeka Eneli ahead of this summer’s Gold Cup – who provided additional inspiration for Luna, who now has three goals and two assists in his last three RSL matches.
With the brace Saturday, Luna became the youngest player in RSL history (21 years, 208 days) to amass 15 goals AND 15 assists in his career on the Wasatch Front. The two-goal performance was Luna’s second-ever, his first arriving back on July 15, 2023, against the New York Red Bulls just ahead of his departure to represent the U.S. in that summer’s FIFA World Youth Championships in Argentina.
This weekend, Luna and RSL travel to Nashville for a Saturday evening 6:30p MT kickoff. The Nashville trip kicks off a run that sees RSL play four of its next five and seven of 10 overall away from home between now and the end of May, with trips to Nashville, San Diego, Vancouver, Dallas, Colorado, Austin and LA Galaxy.
RSL is back in Sandy on Sat., April 19 against former assistant coach Robin Fraser and his Toronto FC side, arriving at what is expected to be another sold-out America First Field. The 7:30p MT kickoff has tickets remaining at www.RSL.com/tickets.
