NEW YORK (Sunday, July 16, 2023) – Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire for Matchday 26 of the 2023 MLS season.
Luna scored the opening two goals of the match in the club’s 3-1 victory against the New York Red Bulls at America First Field on July 15. At 19 years and 311 days old, Luna became the youngest player in club history to record a multi-goal match. The U.S. Youth International is just the second teenager to record a brace this season, alongside Atlanta’s Caleb Wiley. Luna is now up to three goals and three assists on the season and is the only player aged 20-or-younger to reach those figures. With a victory over the Red Bulls, Salt Lake extended their unbeaten run to nine games, which was the club’s longest since March 8 - May 24, 2014 (12 games).
Luna opened the scoring in the second minute when he latched on to Jefferson Savarino’s cross and volleyed an effort home from close range (Watch Here). The 19-year-old then scored the game-winning goal in the 53rd minute and extended RSL’s lead to 2-0. Luna picked up the ball on the outside of the 18-yard-box, played a passing combination with Danny Musovski, and dinked the ball past the Red Bulls goalkeeper for his brace (Watch Here).
Luna becomes the second different Salt Lake player to be named MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire this season, joining Damir Kreilach (Matchday 20). This is the first time Salt Lake has had multiple players earn the honor in a single season since 2014 – Joao Plata, Nick Rimando (twice), and Chris Schuler. Luna is the second-youngest player to be named Player of the Matchday this season behind Atlanta’s Caleb Wiley.
Luna and Real Salt Lake will open play in Leagues Cup 2023 on Saturday, July 22, as they welcome Seattle Sounders FC to America First Field (9:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass), before taking on Monterrey of LIGA MX on Wednesday, July 26 (9:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass).
The MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while a Twitter fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.
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