Diego Luna Ready To Be ‘That Guy’, Committed To RSL
Nov 16, 2023, 2:24 PM | Updated: 2:56 pm
(Photo courtesy of Real Salt Lake)
(Photo courtesy of Real Salt Lake)
SALT LAKE CITY – Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna took a huge jump in 2023, specifically in the final stretch of the season.
In the end-of-season interviews, Luna said that he is committed to RSL and ready to take another jump in 2024.
“I’m solely focused on playing here. Right now, I’m playing for RSL and that’s what I want to be doing,” Luna said. “I’m in a great run of form and I am going to try my hardest to continue that. All I’m focused on is coming back here next year.”
Moon boy with the equalizer is your @keybank Moment of the Match pic.twitter.com/Q3jdvjVjGM
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) November 13, 2023
Luna said that his own mentality was a big reason he was able to find success in his second season in the MLS. There are a lot of young players on the roster but Luna is ready to prove that he is one of the best players at Real Salt Lake.
Luna played four times more minutes in 2023 compared to 2022. He scored seven goals in MLS play but is ready to improve on that number as well.
“The biggest takeaway for me has been my own mentality,” Luna said. “I figured (out) what has worked for me and what has not. I want to continue scoring goals and being that guy.”
With that said, Luna is still just 20 years old and has a lot of room for improvement.
so good we had to give ya another angle 👀 pic.twitter.com/c1IFAqFuux
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) November 8, 2023
What’s the next step for Luna? He believes it is better vision as a passer and a playmaker.
“I think I need to get more assists,” Luna said. “I ended the season with seven goals. But, my assist number as an attacking player should be way higher. So I think that’s one area that I really want to improve on.”
Real Salt Lake has lost in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs in back-to-back years.
The club made a lot of moves this year in an effort to be competitive but still ultimately fell short. Luna said that Real needs to continue working and focus on not taking their foot off the gas when conceding goals.
“We take away the positives of the year,” Luna said. “We look back at film and we look back at the energy of the group. We’ve got to work endlessly, 90 minutes. That’s one thing we need to improve on – not conceding early and not conceding the goals first.”
Momentum swinging, game changing performances to get @RealSaltLake Match 3 of the postseason.
Diego Luna shined bright in the tail end of the season, and deserves his #RSL praise. 🌙
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 15, 2023
When you play well, fans take notice.
Luna quickly became a favorite amongst RSL fans and he shared his gratitude for the riot and everyone else who supported him in his breakout season.
“The one thing that never changes is how grateful I am to go out there and play in front of our fans,” Luna said. “To have the support, it’s an unbelievable feeling. The support that RSL has given me is a big part of my success. Thank you to the RSL fans.”
How To Watch Real Salt Lake
All Major League Soccer games are broadcasted on Apple TV with MLS Season Pass.
All Real Salt Lake English-language radio coverage for the 2024 season and beyond will be carried on various KSL radio signals. KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM/1280 AM) and KSL Newsradio (102.7 FM / 1160 AM) are both stations under the Bonneville International umbrella.
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Chandler Holt is a co-host for the Jazz Notes podcast and a Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.
