Diego Luna Takes Responsibility After USMNT’s Painful Gold Cup Loss Vs Mexico

A couple of weeks after the Gold Cup Final between Mexico and the USMNT, Diego Luna had the opportunity to reflect on the tournament that put his name in contention for the World Cup next year.

The Real Salt Lake star has become a favorite amongst USMNT fans after a great performance in the Gold Cup this summer. What didn't go his way was the Gold Cup final, where he and the USMNT lost 2-1 to rivals Mexico.

In an interview with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard for the Unfiltered Soccer podcast, Luna spoke about the loss to Mexico and his thoughts on the performance of the team.

Luna spoke very honestly about the approach of the game, which caused him not to perform similarly to other games like the semifinal against Guatemala, where he scored a brace.

Diego Luna on Loss to Mexico in the Gold Cup Final

Diego Luna spoke about the tournament and mentioned that the final is not the end of the team's development under Mauricio Pochettino. He insists the loss is vital for his and his team's growth.

Diego Luna: "It was an unfortunate game, I didn't play well. The team struggled a little bit to get out... I was playing more defensively than I would've liked to. This is an awesome time for growing and an awesome thing to learn from at a young age for me."

Luna wants to reach more finals with the USMNT and now knows the feeling of a final, labeling it as 'not a normal game' in comparison to other games with the national team.

Diego Luna: "I'll take this as a stepping stone of what not to do, and how finals are played, and how big moments like that are different because it's not just a normal game. It was a different type of feeling and a different type of game."