HERRIMAN, UT (Thursday, January 19, 2023) – Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna accepted the invitation from U-20 United States Youth National Team Head Coach Mikey Varas to attend the group’s first 2023 training camp in Tampa, Florida, from now through January 28.
“Whenever I get the chance to have the USA badge on my chest, I am honored to represent this country,” said Luna, 19, prior to departing Real Salt Lake’s 2023 preseason camp in Utah. “I’m excited to reconvene with the boys and the staff, as we prepare for a big year in the run-up to the Youth World Cup in Indonesia. We learned a lot as a group through CONCACAF qualifying, I learned and grew a lot in my months at Real Salt Lake, and I’m looking forward to taking us to a whole new level.”
Luna most recently competed with the U-20 USYNT in the 2022 Revelation Cup, where the youth side faced Peru, Mexico, and Paraguay. The U-20 team posted a 2-1-0 (W-L-T) record, with wins against Paraguay and Peru. Luna, a native of Sunnyvale, Calif., scored the lone goal against Mexico and notched another against Peru.
Previously, Luna helped lead the U-20s to victory at the 2022 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, contributing five assists, while also scoring another goal of his own. The tournament win clinched a berth for the United States at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, to be held later this Spring in Indonesia (May 20 – June 11), as well as the 2024 Summer Olympic tourney.
The 19-year old playmaker joined Real Salt Lake in May, 2022, transferring from El Paso Locomotive, where the teenager had scored 13 goals in 43 games across USL competition. During the 2022 Major League Soccer campaign, Luna made 13 appearances as a Homegrown Player for the Utah side, starting three games. Luna’s MLS debut came late in a June 4 loss at Vancouver, while his first start also came on the road at Atlanta on July 13.
RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s side remains in the midst of preseason preparations in Utah and Arizona in advance of the Club’s 19th regular season campaign, which occurs on Saturday, February 25 at Vancouver. Over the past two seasons, RSL has earned an 18W-7L-9T home record at what is now known as America First Field in Sandy, setting a new Club mark in 2022 with 17 sellout crowds in as many MLS contests at the 14-year-old venue.
2023 Season Tickets can be purchased at www.RSL.com/tickets, or by calling 844.Real.Tix. RSL debuts on home soil on Sat, March 11, 2023 in a postseason rematch against Austin FC. Kickoff in Sandy is at 7:30p MT; please visit www.RSL.com for more details.
