EL PASO, Texas (Oct. 23, 2024) – El Paso Locomotive FC Academy announced today that it has booked a second consecutive trip to the USL Academy Finals, which will take place December 5-8 in Tampa, FL.
“Making the Finals two years in a row is a fantastic feeling,” Locomotive Academy Director Ivan Militar said. “Now it is time to prepare for this tournament, set new goals specifically for this upcoming competition and try to make history. We are ready to learn from last year’s experiences and aim higher knowing the single elimination style of the Finals is highly challenging. We are ready to represent our City and our Club in Florida and excited to finish our historic season on the highest note possible!”
El Paso finished their 2024 USL Academy season as the top-ranked team in the Boys-U20 Cactus Division, posting a 7-2-1 record and outscoring their opponents 22 to 13. This will be the second time since the Academy’s founding in 2020 that Locomotive will compete at the USL’s premier national youth tournament, indicative of the high-level of young talent being produced and developed within the Locomotive Academy system.
In their first trip to the finals last season, the Locos opened tournament play in the Round of 16 against in-state rivals San Antonio FC, dominating in a deadlocked match that went all the way to the penalty shootout where El Paso were unfortunately eliminated. El Paso would then go on to compete in a series of consolation matches, posting two wins and one loss to cap off its first participation in the USL Academy Finals.
“The first USL Academy Finals was an amazing experience for our program, and we returned home proud to have showcased our style of play against high-level teams and have success in one of the best youth soccer tournaments in the country,” Militar said about the club’s first participation. “The best compliment we received was that teams wanted to play against us and that college coaches and scouts came specifically to watch our players play, showing that they are not only top talents in El Paso, but in the nation as well.
About the Locomotive Academy
Founded in 2020, the Locomotive Academy was created to provide unrivaled competitive opportunities for youth players in the Borderplex region. The Academy fields seven teams between 13-19, including a fully funded U-20 USL Academy program, and competes in three youth leagues: the Elite Club National League (ECNL), USL Academy League and the El Paso Premier League (EPPL). Through its league competitions and participation at various tournaments and showcases throughout the year, the Academy strives to provide players with direct exposure to numerous college and scouts while playing against some of the strongest youth teams in the country.
In addition to working with numerous colleges across the country, the Academy also grants players a pathway to train and play alongside the Locomotive senior team, giving the young athletes an opportunity to learn and develop alongside professional athletes and coaches through USL Academy contracts, the only youth soccer organization in El Paso to offer such opportunities. To learn more about the Locomotive Academy, head to eplocomotivefc.com/youth-soccer.