The US Soccer meritocracy is a sham, and the formal exclusion of Diego Luna and Zavier Gozo from the World Cup roster is its most damning indictment yet. No amount of glossy federation messaging about “competition” can obscure what every MLS regular witnessed this season: Luna was the creative heartbeat of Real Salt Lake, and Gozo was the two-way engine driving the New England Revolution’s midfield. If those performances are not enough to earn a look while Euro-based benchwarmers retain automatic call-ups, then the selection process is not merit-based—it is a closed club.
I watched Luna shred the Houston Dynamo defense from the left half-space in late August, delivering a goal and two assists while completing 89% of his passes in the attacking third. A week later, against LAFC, he single-handedly broke their press with line-splitting through balls—exactly the profile of a No. 10 that the USMNT has lacked since the last World Cup. Gozo, meanwhile, anchored the Revolution’s build-up with a 93% pass accuracy under pressure, added four goals and six assists from deep positions, and led the league in progressive carries per 90. These aren’t flash-in-the-pan stats; they are consistent, high-level MLS production against the same domestic opponents that Gregg Berhalter’s preferred European-based players face in friendlies. Yet the federation sent an email—a form letter—confirming their exclusion, while less effective players with passports stamped in Germany or England keep their spots