BIG BALLS.
Two of them, in fact.
The pair in question provided by each half of Real Salt Lake’s 2025 U.S. Men’s National Team duo, Diego Luna and Emeka Eneli.
For the first time in RSL’s 21-year history, multiple RSL players provided goal contributions in the same game, a dominant 3-0 win for team USA Wednesday night in Orlando against regional rival Costa Rica.
First it was Luna, and later his third-year teammate Eneli, providing the primary assists on a pair of USA goals, one in each half at Inter & Co. Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
The Claret-and-Cobalt duo were each named to new USA Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s starting XI in the second match of this January camp, after both featured off the bench in the Stars-and-Stripes win over Venezuela in Ft. Lauderdale four days earlier.
Luna’s heroic 45 minutes captured hearts and minds all over the internet – and not the least of which on his own sideline, impressing the vaunted international coaching legend, the USA team doctor and no doubt his own teammates – as the 21-year-old playmaker displayed his old warrior soul, rebounding from a broken nose and a resultant pool of blood caused by an errant Costa Rican shoulder.
After a brief exit to reset the bones and change into a clean jersey, the 2024 MLS Young Player of the Year demanded his way back onto the pitch, according to Pochettino, coolly providing what proved to be the game-winning assist before finally making way 30 minutes at halftime.
As Pochettino described the moment to former RSL player Brian Dunseth and the rest of the TNT post-game crew: “I was very surprised because you know, the nose was broken. I did not want to provide too much drama … he wanted to keep playing … he goes back in, gets the assist on his first action … big balls!
“He showed great character.”
Despite having both nostrils filled with gauze, blood streaming down his face and looking like an extra from the famed David Fincher movie “Fight Club,” Luna dominated the first half for the States, with a game-high SIX big chances created, none more incisive than his 21st-minute throughball to Brian White, giving the home side a 1-0 lead.
Sharing the field with Luna on this frigid night in Orlando was his Real Salt Lake teammate Emeka Eneli, one of eight U.S. players to have made their international debuts earlier in the week under the guise of Pochettino’s first January camp.
Eneli – a former Cornell Men’s Soccer standout, one who has proven to be the RSL “Iron Man” and “Swiss-Army Knife” during his first two professional seasons – played the full 90 on this night, delivering the assist on the first of two late U.S. insurance goals.
Eneli set up the knockout blow doing what seems to always do for the Claret-and-Cobalt, finding himself in the right place at the right time, winning the ball back from Costa Rica deep in their defensive end, and making a quick, simple and direct decision, creating a high xG chance for his team, finding Caden Clark for the 2-0 lead.
On the night, Eneli – playing a deep midfield “Busquets” role, asked to do things slightly differently than in Pablo Mastroeni’s double-pivot – completed 92% of his passes (69/75) and earning the valued FotMob “Player of the Match” honors with an 8.4 rating.
That Luna / Eneli combination did not only appear on the field Wednesday night, nor just in the FotMob ratings as the top two individuals rated – but will forever be ingrained in the history books, both delivering goal contributions in a U.S. game for the first time ever by an RSL duo.
The last time multiple RSL players earned USA caps on the same evening? April 2, 2014 in Glendale, Arizona, when GK Nick Rimando, DF Tony Beltran and MF Kyle Beckerman all started in a 2-2 friendly draw with the country’s primary footballing rival, Mexico.
A decade later, Luna and Eneli displayed for the whole world to see their strength, determination, cohesion and game-changing abilities, something we are fortunate enough to witness each and every Saturday during the MLS season, at America First Field or on the road.
Up next for this dynamic Claret-and-Cobalt duo? A quick stop in Salt Lake City before joining the next stage of RSL preseason in Santa Barbara, Calif., as Mastroeni’s men pursue continental hardware and all its spoils, as RSL kicks off 2025 in earnest in San José, Costa Rica, on Wed., Feb. 19 in the first of two CONCACAF Champions Cup legs against CS Herediano.
