Real Salt Lake coach Pablo Mastroeni was in disbelief when the email arrived Friday. The US roster for the World Cup would exclude both Diego Luna, the team's star playmaker, and Zavier Gozo, the talented youngster who had begun to turn heads in MLS. For Luna especially, the omission stung hard.
Luna had been a pillar for the national team throughout 2025, drawing consistent praise from coach Mauricio Pochettino for his fighting mentality and attacking prowess. Mastroeni saw no logical reason to leave him behind for a tournament that demands difference-makers capable of performing under the brightest lights.
"In 2025 the national team really leaned on him, both as an attacking player, but also as a mentality piece," Mastroeni said. "Pochettino referenced his ability to fight, and I just think that in a World Cup where you need a difference maker, some guy who's gonna come into a game where the stage will never be too big, I just thought that Luna made sense."
The blow landed differently than typical roster cuts. Players and staff traveling with RSL to Minnesota expressed visible disbelief at the decision. Luna had trained fully Thursday and Friday, missing only Wednesday's demanding conditioning work due to hamstring tightness. The squad found out their fates via email after Friday's session, with Luna's and Gozo's exclusions arriving simultaneously.
Gozo, at 19 years old, hadn't entered the preseason expecting much. He had only recently secured a regular role in RSL's lineup after years of waiting for his opening. With six goals and four assists in 14 MLS matches, his audacious technique and vision had begun catching eyes around the league. The young winger even wondered if he might force his way into consideration as an outside option.
"I thought I would be less disappointed than I was," Gozo told the Guardian. "Obviously, it wasn't like I was supposed to go. I feel like I was disappointed, but I also think it just gave me so much more motivation to be able to make the first team, whenever that is."
When Gozo learned of the decision, his teammate Luna pulled him aside to process the news together. Both men had received their rejection notices at the same moment.
"I talked to him," Gozo said. "I honestly think he should be in the team. I was upset for him, and obviously you know he's upset as well."
Mastroeni acknowledged that Gozo faced long odds but believed the youngster possessed exactly the kind of attributes a 26-man roster needs. His ability to threaten defenses and create moments of chaos on the field could have proven valuable in games where the US needed to shake things up.
"You got three games to get out of the group, and I just felt like he might have been a long shot, but I felt like his attributes on a 26-man roster would be really good in moments where you need to change the game," Mastroeni said. "I think he's quality in front of goal. I think he's shown his ability to really threaten the back line, so I just thought he had a chance."
Gozo's exclusion may ultimately accelerate his path. At 19 with just over 3,000 league minutes behind him, he could attract attention from clubs willing to invest in his potential. When asked if he felt ready for a step up, he didn't hesitate.
"I feel like I'm ready to go," he said. "Whether that happens or not, I don't know, but I think this is a unique situation I have. I'm blessed to be in a situation where I have such a good club to be at, but I also think, you know, what's next in my career? I don't know."
Luna's situation carries different weight. At 22, he should remain in the national team's orbit for years to come. But a co-hosted World Cup on home soil comes once in a generation. The playmaker had become central to the team's promotion and marketing leading up to the tournament, making his absence conspicuous to everyone.
Mastroeni knows what it means to be on the margins of these moments. In 2002, he was the 23rd man, told by coach Bruce Arena he'd made the roster as "a rah-rah guy." Injuries changed his fate, and he ended up playing crucial matches in the knockout rounds. Even with that veteran's perspective, he struggled to accept Luna's cut.
"I didn't impact the national team, not even remotely close to the way Luna impacted the group last year in 2025 and the Gold Cup," Mastroeni said. "But Diego has been a guy that has consistently overcome difficult hurdles in his career, both on the field and off the field. I think he's going to be a stronger player for this, and he's got a great shot at the next one."
Author James Rodriguez: "Luna's omission reeks of a coaching call that will age poorly if the midfield misfires this summer."
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