Macca King has been a man on fire on the Locomotive squad over the last five games. The Englishman has come into a run of form that has been turning heads around the USL Championship, as earlier this week he earned a third straight USL Championship Team of the Week nod.
What started as a stellar performance on the road against Sporting Kansas City II, Macca’s current hot form really took shape the next week against Austin Bold FC. Throughout the night in Austin, Macca outplayed his opposition and ultimately set up the win with a picture-perfect cross in the 56th minute to find Diego Luna for his first professional goal. Macca’s performance hasn’t slowed down since.
Since that night in Austin, Macca has only found success. The defending right-back crossed a ball that bounced off Lucho’s head to Nick Ross for the opening goal in the second minute before laying the ball off to Diego Luna to secure a 2-0 win against Indy Eleven. King then added two goals against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and Real Monarchs over the following two games.
“I just go out there and play and enjoy myself,” Macca said with a smile. “Right now, I’m really enjoying my football. We’re undefeated. I think everyone is enjoying it right now.”
Kicking off the 2021 USL Championship, El Paso Locomotive has earned the right to call itself the only undefeated team in the league. After seven games, Los Locos boast a 4-0-3 record, leading the league in clean sheets with four. On the pitch, it looks like the boys in blue are having fun playing their game while picking up a deal of confidence.
That confidence coupled with time with Locomotive has lent itself to Macca’s recent form. Though Macca has never been shy, he has had about a year now to get to know the team around him. He knows how his teammates like to move on the field, their personalities, and trust in the squad has strengthened.
“It’s just trusting people with the ball. If I don’t trust the midfielders or the attacking players to turn out, then I won’t be making the runs. I trust them and they know where I am all the time, so they just find me, and then I just stick it in the box,” Macca said laughing.
For newer players, including Diego Luna, Macca’s trust has been massive. The two have linked up now for three goals over the last few weeks, creating a dangerous pairing on the pitch.
“He’s given me two assists for my two first professional goals, which is a great feeling,” shared Luna. “He’s been on the pitch for every goal and has helped every goal and coming out from a right-back is a big thing. It shows a lot so it’s awesome to play with him.”
That level of trust comes from more than just the players on the field. It extends from the coaching staff as well. Head Coach Mark Lowry has seen what a versatile player Macca can be, moving quickly up the pitch but falling back just as fast to cover defensively. No matter where Macca is on the pitch, Coach Lowry knows he is going to bring dependable quality.
“We all know just how good he is,” said Head Coach Mark Lowry. “Around the league, there is probably that feeling that he is a solid right-back but really, that’s it. Here we know he is a quality we can use in very different ways. We can use him to sit a little bit deeper and get on the ball, make passes because he is a great passer of the ball. We can also use him to get higher up the field and put in crosses because he is a great crosser of the ball. He gives us options on the ball.”
As Locomotive continues through its 2021 USL Championship season, chasing the league record for undefeated regular-season games, Macca will continue to play a massive role on the side of the pitch. As one of 11 players on the field for Locomotive, Macca has completely bought into the team-first “we, not me” mentality that Lowry asks of all his players.
El Paso Locomotive will continue its 2021 season on the road against Rio Grande Valley FC on Wednesday, June 30 in Edinburg, Texas. Kickoff from H-E-B Stadium is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. MT and will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Locomotive will return to El Paso for an Independence Day celebration on July 3 against New Mexico United. Tickets will include a post-game fireworks show and can still be purchased online at https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/eplocomotivefc/tickets or by calling 915.235.GOAL.