Former Locomotive Diego Luna helps US soccer to Olympic qualification

Diego Luna could figuratively hear the cheering from El Paso in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

On June 25, the former Locomotive midfielder scored a goal and had an assist for the US in a CONCACAF U20 Championship group stage victory against Nicaragua, feats that were replayed a few hours later at Southwest University Park before a Locomotive game.

The roar in response at Southwest University Park was loud from a crowd that still feels protective toward the 18-year-old who launched his pro career in El Paso before moving up to Real Salt Lake of the MLS.

"It's unreal," said Luna, who was part of the US team that went on to win the CONCACAF U20 Championships and in the process become the first Americans to qualify for the 2024 Olympics. "That's something I love about El Paso. El Paso became very close to my heart, I consider it my second home.

"It's a place that made me who I am, it gave me a chance to become who I can become. That's an amazing feeling, the feeling they have my back through everything. It's awesome."

These are awesome times for Luna, who said the last month has been overwhelming. His transfer to Real Salt Lake came on June 1, and three days later he was an 88th minute sub for the team in a game at Vancouver.

From Vancouver, he was off to Honduras in hopes of helping the US qualify for its first Olympic soccer tournament since 2008. He ended up playing a large role for the Americans as their attacking center midfielder. He played all 90 minutes in the 6-0 championship victory against the Dominican Republic on Sunday.

Shortly after that, he was on a plane back to Salt Lake to rejoin his MLS club.

"It's been crazy," Luna said in Tegucigalpa. "That week heading off to RSL from El Paso, then heading straight from Vancouver to out here. I haven't been able to settle in to Utah yet but I'm looking forward to getting back."

The trip to Honduras was productive. For the first time the CONCACAF (North American) U20 Championships doubled as the qualifier for the Olympics. The Olympic team will be a U23 team with three additional (older) players so there is no guarantee Luna will be on it in Paris two years from now, but America will be there after a long absence.

"It's pretty crazy, right?" Luna said. "A lot of people know the US hadn't made the Olympics in two cycles, eight years (actually three cycles). Being part of this group, the brotherhood we've created, it's been crazy and its been exciting.

"This tournament has been good for me. Coming to the national team and play meaningful, hard games has been good. I'm taking what I'm doing here and hopefully taking it back to RSL, starting off strong when I get back and push for minutes, help the team win."

That Luna is with Real Salt Lake is interesting in and of itself. Most MLS players come up through those squads' youth system, or are drafted out of college. Coming through a non-affiliated organization in the USL Championships is not a path much traveled.

He was in the San Jose youth system before he was 15, but then moved to the Barcelona Residency Academy in Arizona. He came to the Locomotive last season as a first-time pro and was an almost instant star, earning the shot in the MLS. The reported $250,000 transfer fee was the largest ever for a USL to MLS move and Luna had other options.

"I've had a different route than others," Luna said. "I'm 18, I've lived in four different states, that's crazy. A of things happen for reasons, I've taken a different route, grown in different areas and it's gotten me to a good place. I want to keep doing that.

"RSL has a very good plan for me and shown the biggest interest, made me feel comfortable going into their environment. They have a plan for me and for my future success. That's what interested me."

It became the logical move from El Paso, but Luna will always look fondly on the Sun City as the place his pro career began.

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Former Locomotive Diego Luna looks back on time in El Paso