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Luna brings winning work ethic to Pochettino's USMNT

Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna. Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Diego Luna brings winning work ethic to Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT

By Alyssa Clang | Last updated Mar 17, 2025 8:17 PM ET

U.S. men's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino is notoriously hard to please. Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris called him "very demanding"; Southampton striker Rickie Lambert joked that he "broke" him.

Getting Pochettino to crack a smile on the field isn't necessarily easy — but last January, in his first official cap for the USMNT, 21-year-old attacking midfielder Diego Luna managed it.

How? By showing Pochettino exactly what he was made of.

Luna found himself on the receiving end of a nasty accidental collision just minutes into his USMNT debut against Costa Rica. The clash left his nose not just broken, but shattered; subsequent surgeries would show it snapped in 16 separate places. But Luna was adamant: he needed to play through it.

“I was very surprised, because it was broke, you know?” Pochettino laughed after the game. “But I didn't want to say nothing [with] too much drama, because [it might] scare him. I said, 'How do you feel?' He said, ‘Please coach, let me keep playing.'"

After checking with the team doctor, Luna was cleared to get back on the field. Seconds later, he provided the assist for the USMNT's opening goal.

Pochettino was beside himself. "First action, assist, and we score," he chuckled. "I said, big balls.”

Despite his fearsome reputation, Pochettino really only wants three things from his USMNT players: hard work, grit and a desire to win. He's been unequivocal about his desire for a "strong mentality" within the team, and few American players fit that bill better than Luna.

His journey to the top has been anything but traditional — he's the first USMNT player in history to rack up minutes with the largely-unknown second-division side El Paso Locomotive, for instance — but that journey has been fueled by an unshakeable work ethic.

Take Luna's debut with Major League Soccer side Real Salt Lake back in 2022. Luna felt nervous and unsure of himself in his first months with the club, so he decided to face those feelings head-on ... by taking on a part-time job as a barista.

"I was like, well, I could make some extra money on the side, but also work on things that I'm horrible at; communication skills, eye contact, things like that," Luna told ESPN. "I was always getting nervous. I was always kind of awkward in situations like that. So I just thought why not try this out?"

Diego Luna is a gem. Just finished a 25-min convo w/ the @realsaltlake.com attacker - his story, introspection, self-awareness is unique. For instance, he took a job as a barista to improve his social skills & eye contact. RSL featured 2/14 @siriusxmfc.bsky.social & full convo soon SiriusXM app

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— Glenn Crooks (@glenncrooks.bsky.social) February 10, 2025 at 7:54 PM

That's Luna: always looking for new ways to improve himself, even if no one is looking. They're certainly looking now, though: his three sparkling seasons in Salt Lake City have turned him into full-on celebrity.

He won MLS' Young Player of the Year award in 2024 and was voted Utah's Professional Athlete of the Year for 2025. If he tried to pick up shift these days, the coffee shop would get mobbed.

Luna was one of six MLS players to make Pochettino's USMNT roster for the upcoming Nations League semifinals. He made the cut over the likes of Leeds' Brenden Aaronson, Club America's Alex Zendejas and Venezia's Gianluca Busio. You could argue, perhaps correctly, that each of those three players is more gifted than Luna. But you could not argue who works the hardest.

It's Luna. It's always been Luna. And as the USMNT prepares for its Nations League journey, it's lucky to have him along for the ride.

Luna and the USMNT will face Panama in a Nations League semifinal on Thursday. If it wins, it'll move on to the tournament final against either Canada or Mexico on Sunday.

Alyssa Clang

Alyssa is a Boston-born Californian with a passion for global sport. She can yell about misplaced soccer passes in five languages and rattle off the turns of Silverstone in her sleep. You can find her dormant Twitter account at @alyssaclang, but honestly, you’re probably better off finding her here

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