Real Salt Lake Stars Diego Luna, Emeka Eneli Receive USMNT Invite
Jan 6, 2025, 12:13 PM | Updated: 12:23 pm
Diego Luna and Emeka Eneli of Real Salt Lake receive USMNT January camp invites. Photos courtesy of Real Salt Lake.
HERRIMAN, Utah- Real Salt Lake are gearing up for another season after posting a franchise record 59 points in the 2024 season, earning the third seed in the Western Conference.
Two major contributors to RSL’s success in 2024 were Diego Luna, who became only the second player in MLS history to mark 20 goal contributions in a season before his 21st birthday, earning the MLS Young Player of the Year Award, and Emeka Eneli, who started 35 of 38 games for the Claret-and-Cobalt and scored the Club’s only playoff goal.
For their remarkable efforts during the last season, both Luna and Eneli have been called up to the United States Men’s National Team’s January camp, the first under new Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Our guys are steppin' up for Team USA 🇺🇸
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) January 6, 2025
Diego Luna will make an appearance at the camp for his second consecutive year. He made his USMNT debut last January in a start against Slovenia after a strong performance in the 2023 U-20 World Cup for the United States.
“I’m very grateful to be able to start the season off again with the US national team and hopefully kick off a great 2025 season,” Luna expressed about the opportunity, “I’m honored to represent the USA and have the RSL community supporting me.”
DIEGO LUNA OPENS THE SCORING FOR THE U.S. 🔥
(via @FOXSoccer) pic.twitter.com/F6bVxp1k1m
— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) May 23, 2023
Emeka Eneli, a 25-year-old US International, was voted by his Real Salt Lake teammates as the squad’s MVP. He will have the opportunity to make his first cap and USMNT debut in the two January Friendlies.
“It’s an honor to be able to represent my country and RSL on the national stage,” Emeka Eneli said about his call-up. “This is something I’ve dreamed of since I first started playing and watching soccer as a little kid, and I am now just super grateful to have the opportunity to do so.”
Emeka Eneli finds the @realsaltlake equalizer! // Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/yMvizr7niz
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 3, 2024
Luna and Eneli will have the opportunity at January camp to build a case for themselves as American soccer enters a pivotal year ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Strong performances from the two teammates could mean representing their country on the world stage.
The USMNT will participate in two friendly matches in January. The first against Venezuela on January 18 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and the second against Costa Rica on January 22, in Orlando, Florida.
