Photo Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre/El Paso Locomotive
Diego Luna’s path to professional soccer has been more circuitous than most. The Bay Area native recently signed his first professional contract with El Paso Locomotive of the USL, the latest milestone in a cross-country journey that has taken him from California to Arizona to Texas, and has scored two goals in his first two starts for the club.
Luna grew up in Sunnyvale, California, and started his youth career at Palo Alto Soccer Club. He played for the Quakes Academy from 2015 to 2019 and, thanks to his excellent dribbling skills and ability to play in tight spaces, was regarded as one of the club’s best prospects in his age group. He starred alongside Cade Cowell at multiple age levels and was told by General Manager Jesse Fioranelli that he had a good opportunity to earn a Homegrown contract if he stayed in San Jose.
Instead, Luna decided to join the Barca Residency Academy in Casa Grande, Arizona, in 2019.
“I could have stayed with the Quakes and taken the “easy” route, but I knew that I wasn’t ready at that moment,” he told Quakes Epicenter in April. “With everything in my career, physically, mentally, tactically, I needed to develop more, I needed to learn more, I needed to improve more before I took that next step to the pros.
“The decision to move was a hard one, definitely, but once I got there and settled in I knew it was going to pay off in the end. It’s always a sacrifice, missing out on things you can do back home, but it’s what you have to do to make your dreams come true.”
At the Barca Academy, he was fully immersed in an elite training environment and played with Caden Clark and Bryce Duke, who both signed with MLS clubs in early 2020.
“Bryce Duke was actually one of my closest friends last year,” Luna said. “It was awesome playing with those guys, very talented players. We always had talks and discussions about our dreams, stuff we wanted to do, stuff we want to accomplish.”
However, Diego experienced a major setback last year when he tore multiple muscles in his left knee, sidelining him for the best part of eight months.
“It was one of the toughest years in my career,” he said. “You went by it every day. You didn’t think a week ahead, you didn’t think a month ahead, you thought about the next day and making sure you’re improving every single day with the rehab.”
Although many young careers have been derailed by similar injuries, Luna has enjoyed a rapid rise since he returned to fitness. In early 2021, as he began to search for a professional club, El Paso’s head coach, Mark Lowry, reached out with an offer.
“They wanted me to go out there for three days to see if I liked it and everything. There was already a contract on the table,” said Luna. “So I went out there for three days, I came back, and I had other opportunities with MLS clubs and other USL clubs after that. I checked out those places but I knew El Paso was where I wanted to be.”
Luna says that the club’s support off the field played a key role in his decision to sign there: “Everything with my family and everyone that I talked to, it was making sure that I felt comfortable. And not just comfortable in the soccer environment, but comfortable with the city and the staff so I can put all my focus toward the game. That was basically the biggest part of the decision.”
The opportunity to get lots of competitive playing time was undoubtedly another draw. In just a few short weeks, he has already established himself as a dangerous offensive threat in the number ten position. Last weekend, he earned his first start for EL Paso and scored the game-winning goal in their 1-0 victory over Austin Bold FC. On Wednesday night, he scored another goal in a 2-0 victory over Indy Eleven.
“I feel like I do fairly well for myself as a seventeen-year-old,” he said. “I don’t really think too much about it, I just play my game and it works out. Whatever I do with the ball, whatever I do off the ball, I just make sure I’m working my hardest and everything works out.”
Eventually, he hopes to move to a larger club and work his way up the professional soccer ladder.
“That’s something we talk about with the coaching staff,” he said. “Our goal is of course not to end my career here. Of course, to move on from here, whether that be Liga MX, MLS, or overseas. That’s something we’ve discussed and we’re all on the same page with that.”
Mexico is a destination that he has considered before. “There was always discussions with my agents about clubs having their eye on me, but I didn’t feel like at that young age it was my time to go to Mexico,” he said. “It was always in the loop, but it wasn’t the right step for me at that time.”
Although he has previously represented the US at the youth level, he is also open to playing for the Mexican national team setup. “Whoever gives me the best opportunities, he says. “I am eligible for the Mexican national team as well, so that’s one of my goals, to get brought up in there and see what’s happening with both national teams.”
However, Luna recognizes that he still has a long way to go to achieve that dream. “Little goals that I set, such as getting more minutes, scoring goals, or getting in the starting lineup, are goals that going to help me get to the next level and get noticed by more clubs,” he said.
For starters, he has to get used to living on his own. “Living on your own, you have to take care of yourself,” he said. “Doing your own dishes, making your own food. All those little things. You’ve got to be very responsible in getting on time to places and stuff like that, always being in contact with everyone.”
Although he is enjoying life in El Paso, the Bay Area still occupies a special place in his heart.
“The Bay Area is where I grew up,” he said with a smile. “I want to thank everyone who I played with, played against, who I’ve seen at the field just saying hi. All the local people that have been there and know me. I really appreciate every little thing, from the littlest things to the biggest things. I really appreciate everything.”
