Diego Luna’s omission from the latest U.S. men’s national team roster has sparked strong reactions from fans, pundits, and former players. A huge part of the criticism focused on how players were informed they would not be part of the squad.
Several players who missed out on the roster were informed of the decision via email, leading to questions about communication inside the program under Mauricio Pochettino.
Among the most discussed omissions was Diego Luna, who has become a regular presence under the current coaching staff.
Herculez Gomez Criticizes Mauricio Pochettino
Former U.S. international Herculez Gomez addressed the situation during a recent discussion and strongly criticized the handling of Luna’s exclusion.
“It's inexcusable…and I use Diego Luna as an example. You could be okay with Diego Luna not being on the roster or not okay with him being on the roster,” Gomez said while discussing the controversy surrounding the decision.
Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
He then pointed to Luna’s involvement with the national team over the past year and questioned the way the federation handled the situation.
“But for that player to be one of the top three most capped players under Mauricio Pochettino and to find out via email, that's just wrong”.
“A player that US Soccer and Pablo Mastroeni, the coach of Real Salt Lake, has said that US Soccer, the US Men's National Team, leaned on him in terms of mentality and playing time, and you highlight him as, and I quote, 'he has balls' because he played with a broken nose, and then you use him in World Cup commercials where he's playing in a World Cup final, you use him to highlight your league and the national team's tie to it. That is wrong.”
Gomez also compared the current situation to his own experiences with the national team. He explained that while he had previously been left out of a World Cup squad, former coaches including Jürgen Klinsmann handled those conversations directly and professionally rather than through impersonal communication.
Recalling his experience under Klinsmann ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Gomez said the personal phone call he received meant a great deal to him, even though he was being told he would not make the team.
He also referenced how former U.S. coach Bob Bradley informed players face-to-face when they did not make the final World Cup roster.
Gomez later questioned Pochettino’s commitment to the project and compared the situation to the criticism former Mexico manager Gerardo Martino received during his tenure.
“This just may be a stop for Mauricio Pochettino, and that's maybe the way he's treating it. And Mexican fans will probably understand that, American fans that understand the Mexican national team will see him as their version of Tata Martino”.
“But to these players, you're ending a dream. You're ending something they've been working for their whole life with an email. And they deserve more.”
