Playing a liga mx side before leagues cup would be a weird choice. Would need to be someone like America, Chivas, or Tigres to make sense
I'm in my 3rd year as well, and I definitely don't mind the obligation to take my daughter on multiple rides each week all summer. She's at Highland. I think we're in region 3
I was chatting with Trey at practice earlier this season and he mentioned the Burnley possibility and another team I really can't remember. It might have been another european team but I know he mentioned 2 friendlies. It may actually have been another MLS side or two now that I think about it.
I just heard from a fairly credible source that Luna didn’t take care of himself at all during the offseason and came back to camp… 25 POUNDS!!!! OVERWEIGHT!!!!
Even if this is true - and the eyeball test would tell you it’s not, 25 pounds is a lot of weight especially on his frame - should that impact his roster selection on either RSL or USA in March or April? Let alone June and July This also feels like a damage control narrative by US Soccer for his absence on the World Cup squad. Again, if we assume it’s true… why is that roster exclusion worthy yet a player like Reyna who has less minutes over an entire club year then allowed on the team? A guy that everyone says is not close to 90 mins fit
This is hearsay. 25#s seems like an exaggeration to me also, but it was the number relayed to me. This alleged source has no direct connection nor reason to cover up for US Soccer. Why would someone in the RSL org try to spin something for them? RSL loses big time by not having Luna on the World Cup roster. That makes zero sense. They did their best to get him ready to be called up. Luna has played in 9/14 of our games, basically going the distance about 4-5 times. The source said he is just barely coming into the shape where he should have started preseason. Claim is that Luna’s nagging knee injury and tightness are a result of coming into preseason so out of shape. I am also perplexed at the Reyna thing, but that is quite separate. The bigger selection issue is why are there 10 f********ing defenders?!?!?! The info relayed to me was not in the context of Luna missing out on the World Cup, but I guess maybe that is how it came up in their convo? The person I talked to was much more concerned about the ticket prices getting jacked up next year, and several sections getting converted to PREMIUM seating, forcing us to make some difficult decisions about what to do going forward. Also, a comparison was made with Gozo, where Gozo behaved professionally in the offseason and came in very fit. Basically, the takeaway was that Luna faces a decision between being a good MLS player or a great one. Even so, his stats are pretty great so far this year, and we are much better when he is on the pitch. Maybe it is like Chuautemoc Blanco, who was incredibly talented but never had the discipline to become a world-best. The alleged source (this is hearsay) is someone who really shouldn’t be saying anything about this to anyone. They should know better, unless they want it leaked in hopes that Luna feels some shame and does not repeat the mistake. Allegedly.
Core marriage memory is nearly having my wife divorce me over what I said about blanco after a game at rice Eccles
It's easy to believe Luna came to camp out of shape. But he played with the US in mid-November - that scintillating 5-1 win on 18 November - and folks reported to RSL camp on 12 January. Even with holiday eating patterns in the in between time there, 25 pounds is an amazing amount to gain in that window. And it's a very particular amount to be the specific amount he gained. It sounds more like a way to emphasize he was very out of shape rather than exactly how much he gained. And there were rumors even at the beginning of camp he wasn't in shape.
I agree that the 25# thing sounds ridiculous. I did say in the follow up post that it sounds like an over exaggeration. I stick to it. I could believe 10, maybe 15. But 25 is just…. That’s crazy town!
Luna proved himself to be a difference maker foe the USMNT. Him not making it feels more like he upset Pocchetino than it was the right soccer move. Being game fit and weight could bend the decision the other way but ai still feel like this was more of a personal decision and not the right team move.
If you have HBO Max it’s worth watching the most recent US Against the World episode. It’s to mid/late 2025 with the team (it’s followed them since 2022 World Cup) and oh boy is it awkward
Luna had 8 goal contributions in a short stint with the team. He didnt play every game but averaged close to a goal every 118 minutes. Lets compare that with other USMNT midfielders...
The Luna fitness discussion tickled my memory so I looked through the RSL 2025-26 Offseason thread and found this post by @goobx1 : “goobx1Member+ #1060Feb 7, 2026 Also, Pablo has mentioned that Diego Luna isn't near fit a couple times in the preseason. I asked him why and he mentioned he had a bug or something and did not have a good run up to camp. Bit of a red flag maybe.” I can see where he could have picked up a little weight if he was sick and wasn’t able to train. More probably he fell behind on his muscular and respiratory endurance. The tone of this doesn’t scream ‘He gained 25 pounds!!’
Watching Pochi say “we also like less talented players who have energy and passion” in Episode 3. Then in the same episode, after a big loss, telling the team for 10 minutes they didn’t play like it was important to them, then asking for the camera and microphone be turned off, and the next shot being Pochi screaming loudly at them behind the closed door was interesting to me. Then in Episode 4 watching Luna basically carry the team to the Gold Cup final with “big balls” (famously said by Pochi). Only to see him not select Luna for the WC team is quite the head scratcher. I think it’s going to backfire on him just like it did to the Olympics team coach when he didn’t select Luna.
A brother-sister duo academy grads on the 2 senior teams, huh? That's pretty cool. Does anyone know if that's happened at any other MLS academy? ....no, wait....how many MLS academies have NWSL partners? I looked around Wikipedia for 10 minutes and gave up, but maybe this is a fairly rare possibility.
Want to hear something really neat about Kyle Beckerman? If so, then this clip from Landon Donovan is a good one. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=4488980944719575
Donovan’s testimony really illustrates that beyond his play on the field Kyle had a lot more going for him as a respected leader at RSL.