SANDY, Utah — When Real Salt Lake acquired Diego Luna as an 18-year-old in the summer of 2022, he was known as "Moon Boy," a young and talented player with a bright future. Three years later, he's now "Moon Man." RSL head coach Pablo Mastroeni called Luna "The Guy" on this team, as the attacking leader of RSL.
"I think for me it's just about continuing to get better every game," Luna said. "There hasn't been much change. I think me getting more comfortable and really figuring out my play and what is needed from me at the time. Playing up higher as the number 10, and my defensive work rate to give me more opportunities on the attacking side."
Luna has come a long way in a short period of time. He didn't get a lot of playing time during his first season with RSL, but as other players have left the club, he has stepped up, with five goals and two assists in the first 10 games of the season.
"I think what Diego has been able to do year after year has been to really dig deep and continue to reinvent himself," said Mastroeni. "He came here as a really technical player; now he's very much a cerebral player with a lot of bite. These players are rare, especially when you have the type of play that Diego has. I couldn't be more proud of his growth and his commitment to his craft. The sky is the ceiling for him."
His teammates have a front row seat to see his skills, including the newest addition, long-time Sporting Kansas City Captain Johnny Russell.
"He's someone that's tormented me for a couple of years now in games that I've played against him," said Russell. "I'm well aware of the quality he's got. You see it in games, but when you get to see it up close on a daily basis, you can just see how talented, how confident he is, which is a huge thing."
