Features

EL PASO, TX – September 12, 2019 – El Paso Locomotive FC’s race to the playoffs is still alive in the club’s first season. Only four points separates the field from 11th to fourth place in the Western Conference, with fourth place hosting that elusive final home playoff game. Eight regular season matches are left to play for the Locos, leaving 24 possible points on the table, making the contest in the West one to keep your eyes on. Locomotive also has two games in hand on a large portion of clubs in the West.

“The playoffs are why sports teams compete. Our team is finally healthy and poised to make a run deep into the playoffs. Working hard to get the maximum amount of points these last eight games is paramount to our playoff push,” commented Andrew Forrest General Manager, Business Operations.

The regular season for the Locos concludes on Saturday, October 19 in Los Angeles, as El Paso faces LA Galaxy II, but the team has four home matches remaining which will play a massive role in which place Locomotive will finish. The lowest four seeds in each conference will enter into a play-in round on October 23. The winners from that round will then enter into a single-elimination bracket, with the highest seed hosting each playoff match, opening the possibilities to a playoff match being held in El Paso. The USL Cup will be held anywhere from November 14-18th.

El Paso’s four remaining home matches will be played on Saturday, September 21st, Wednesday, October 2nd, Thursday, October 10th, and Tuesday, October 15th.

El Paso Locomotive FC plays their next match at home on Saturday, September 21st against Colorado Springs Switchbacks. Season Ticket Memberships, Group Tickets, and Individual Match Tickets can be purchased at https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/eplocomotivefc/ticket or by calling 915-235-GOAL!

LAS VEGAS – September 7, 2019 – El Paso Locomotive FC dominate the Lights on the road, shutting out Las Vegas and scoring three goals in an electrifying performance. Locomotive got things started when James Kiffe was taken down in the Las Vegas box. Sebastian Velasquez stepped up to the spot and converted a clinical penalty kick to grab his first goal of the season.

“It feels like a weight has been lifted off me. I have been waiting for that first goal to get things going. I just wanted to say thank you to all the fans who have been with us since day one,” commented Velasquez.

As soon as he stepped onto the pitch, El Paso’s Aaron Gomez made his impact felt. Within 60 seconds of subbing in, Gomez scored his first goal of the night. After finding teammate Omar Salgado inside the Vegas box, Gomez was primed to scoop up the deflected shot from Salgado, putting his foot through the ball and sending it thundering into the back of the net.

Ten minutes later, Gomez added to his sheet. Nick Ross received a booming pass from the Locomotive back line and took it towards the Vegas goal. Ross ripped a shot, but the Lights keeper was able to get a foot to it and send it back into traffic, where the un-checked Gomez cleaned up and scored his second of the night. With this win, El Paso moves into playoff position.

El Paso Locomotive FC plays their next match at home on Saturday, September 21st against Colorado Springs Switchbacks. Season Ticket Memberships, Group Tickets, and Individual Match Tickets can be purchased at https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/eplocomotivefc/ticket or by calling 915-235-GOAL!

EL PASO – September 4, 2019 – El Paso Locomotive FC overcame a two-goal deficit to draw against Tulsa Roughnecks 2-2 in dramatic fashion. Tulsa took the lead in the first half and then came out in the second and put another away to extend their lead.

El Paso showed their grit and tenacity and in the 79th minute Aaron Gomez scored his first goal of the season off a booming header that left the keeper helpless. James Kiffe came up with the assist after sending a pinpoint cross into the box that Gomez finished with class.

Seventy-one seconds later Locomotive answered with the equalizer that sent the stadium into mania. El Paso’s Omar Salgado was untouchable down the left line, juking a defender and finding Jerome Kiesewetter inside the box. The German-American striker put his left foot through the ball from Salgado and notched his 11th goal of the season.

El Paso Locomotive FC plays their next match at home on Saturday, September 21st against Colorado Springs Switchbacks. Season Ticket Memberships, Group Tickets, and Individual Match Tickets can be purchased at https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/eplocomotivefc/ticket or by calling 915-235-GOAL!

EDINBURG, TX – August 24, 2019 – El Paso Locomotive FC lost a hard-fought battle in South Texas to Rio Grande Valley Toros. After 90 minutes, Locomotive would end the night a man and a goal down.

El Paso’s Richie Ryan was shown two yellow cards and had to leave the match. Locomotive FC forward Jerome Kiesewetter was back in the starting 11 after being out from injury since the middle of July.

In a showing of unity, the Toros players wore black armbands to honor the victims of the August 3rd shootings in El Paso. Locomotive FC are going into a bye week and will have 11 days before their next match at home.

 El Paso Locomotive FC plays their next match at home on Wednesday, September 4th against Tulsa Roughnecks. Season Ticket Memberships, Group Tickets, and Individual Match Tickets can be purchased at https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/eplocomotivefc/ticket or by calling 915-235-GOAL!

EL PASO – August 20, 2019 – El Paso Locomotive FC unveils their fourth jersey which they will wear on Noche de Locos, September 4th and on September 21st. The jersey pays homage to the colorful culture of our border city, taking design inspiration from Mexican folk art and capturing the Borderland’s essence.

“The inspiration for designing this jersey came from combining the traditional Mexican sugar skulls and the vibrant colors found in all corners of Mexico. Calaveritas, or sugar skulls, represent the Mexican folk art and symbolize honor for the spirits of our ancestors – which for Mexicans is a very unique and rich tradition,” commented Locomotive’s graphic designer and native of Juarez, Itzel Zambrano, who designed the jersey.

The colors of the Mexican flag adorn the collar and the “Locos” alternate logo sits inside the neckline. As your eyes move down the jersey, contrasting bright lines against a dark blue field makes the imagery pop off the fabric. This is truly a one of a kind design found nowhere else in the league.

El Paso Locomotive and BLK have never been ones to shy away from being bold when it comes to design, and this jersey is a testament to that. “The process was digging into my culture to accurately represent to the members of BLK how we celebrate the Mexican culture in our border city,” continued Zambrano. “Together, we were able to make this jersey a success. Design is about connection. The input I was able to provide translated to a more authentic design that helps our fans connect and feel the Mexican culture.”

Noche de Locos will run in tandem with Hispanic Heritage month which begins September 15th and Día de la Independencia on September 16th. The September 4th match will feature Folklorico dancers and the first 1,000 fans through the door will get a “Noche de Locos” scarf.

A special limited run of these jerseys will be available for purchase in the Locomotive Team Shop today starting at 10 a.m. Fans will also be able to get their hands on the actual game jersey’s worn by Loco players by way of an auction whose funds will benefit the El Paso Locomotive FC Foundation. More details on the auction to come.

El Paso Locomotive FC plays their next match at home on Wednesday, September 4th against Tulsa Roughnecks. Season Ticket Memberships, Group Tickets, and Individual Match Tickets can be purchased at https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/eplocomotivefc/ticket or by calling 915-235-GOAL!

EL PASO – August 17, 2019 – El Paso Locomotive FC delivered a dominating win over Tacoma in their first home match since the August 3rd attack on El Paso. The city came together and rallied behind the “El Paso Strong” mantra, which the Locomotive roster took to heart.

El Paso’s first goal came off a bicycle kick from Edson Partida that left the keeper helpless. Yuma received the ball outside the box and found Partida deep in Tacoma territory. Tracking the ball over his shoulder Partida went into the air and delivered the ball over his head and into the back of the net.

The night wasn’t finished there. In poetic fashion, El Pasoan Omar Salgado notched the final goal of the night in front of the home crowd, who were electric once the ball kissed the back of the net. Salgado’s third goal of the season was his most important of the year.

“It’s all about the team. I have been saying that since day one. Today they showed that. Everyone played as a team,” commented Coach Mark Lowry after tonight’s victory.

For the first time this season, three El Pasoans were on the pitch at the same time. Louis “Chapa” Herrera, Omar Salgado, and Memo Diaz represented the Sun City and closed out the final minutes of the match together.

El Paso Locomotive FC plays their next match at home on Wednesday, September 4th against Tulsa Roughnecks. Season Ticket Memberships, Group Tickets, and Individual Match Tickets can be purchased at https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/eplocomotivefc/ticket or by calling 915-235-GOAL!

The United Soccer League and COPA90 have teamed up to introduce the inaugural edition of “Supporters Week”, a seven-day celebration of the communities and fanbases across the USL Championship.

Beginning Saturday, August 17 through Saturday, August 24, USL clubs will pay homage to fans through a league-wide initiative as Championship clubs transform their social profiles, highlight the incredible supporter stories around the league, and showcase fan-generated content. As the week unfolds, fans will also have a unique opportunity to interact with club and league social channels, contribute to the league website, and provide supporter-centric photos and videos to be shared across USL Championship’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram platforms.

In addition, clubs across the Championship will provide fans the opportunity to interactively impact an element of their in-stadium experience, including the use of social and app-based polling to determine which kit their team will wear, cleat styles, drink specials, goalkeeper glove colors, names on the back of jerseys, warmup music, and more.

“For a lot of our clubs, every week is supporter’s week,” said USL Vice President of Communications Ryan Madden. “But from a USL HQ perspective, we wanted to find a cool, unique way to say thank you. The reality is our league doesn’t exist without the fans so the least we can do is to creatively engage, empower, and work to see the league more clearly through their eyes. And to have a partner like COPA90, whose mission it is to celebrate soccer fans across the world, is perfect.”

Off the field, the USL and COPA90 have also partnered with seven Championship clubs on a limited-edition apparel line dubbed the “Supporters Collection”. The capsule collection – set to drop early next week –  will feature new minimalist marks, designed in tandem with the clubs and their supporters. This limited-edition collection will be available exclusively through the COPA 90 store.

Will McDonough VP, Brand & Commercial Strategy at COPA90 said, “We are massive fans of USL and their commitment to the supporters of their league, so when they approached us to collaborate around Supporters Week, it was a no-brainer. COPA90 is built on the idea of empowering soccer fans across the globe in new ways and this project fits in perfectly with that mission.”

EL PASO – August 15, 2019 – El Paso Locomotive FC have acquired FIFA U-20 France World Cup champion Alexy Bosetti by way of trade with OKC Energy FC, pending league and federation approval. To fulfill the trade, OKC will acquire El Paso’s Derek Gebhard. Gebhard appeared for El Paso 18 times this season and notched the first goal in Locomotive franchise history.

“It is with sadness that we say goodbye to Derek, I have worked with him for over three years now and he is someone I genuinely care about. He has had a couple of little injuries this season that have prevented him from getting any type of rhythm, so he has been out of the team for long spells. For Derek’s long-term future, we felt this move would be a good fit for him and nothing would make me happier than seeing him go to OKC, score some goals and show everyone how good of a player he can be,” commented Coach Mark Lowry.

Bosetti was born in Nice, France, and played his youth career with Cavigal Nice Sports and Nice. From 2012-2017 he rostered for Nice in Ligue 1 (first division French football) and made 75 appearances, scoring ten goals.

Along with his esteemed club career, Bosetti won the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup with France and has represented his country 20 times with the U-19 and U-20 sides. 

With OKC he saw the pitch 19 times and scored once, grabbing four assists. The French attacker will give El Paso a variety of options in the attacking third and prove to be a thrilling addition to the roster.

“As for Bosetti, his resume and pedigree speak for itself. He has played at the highest level in France, won a U20 World Cup, and is still young and hungry to prove that he can be a success in the US. His character off the field comes with a good reputation and the type of player he is fits perfectly with our style of play on the field. His addition makes us a stronger more experienced team,” said Lowry.

El Paso Locomotive FC plays their next match at home on Saturday, August 17th against Tacoma Defiance. Season Ticket Memberships, Group Tickets, and Individual Match Tickets can be purchased at https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/eplocomotivefc/ticket or by calling 915-235-GOAL!

EL PASO – August 14, 2019 – El Paso Locomotive FC announces plans for the August 17th match that will honor the first responders and remember the victims of the tragedy that occurred on August 3rd. The theme of the night will be “El Paso Strong,” which the Borderland has united behind. Below are details surrounding the related events:

• El Paso Strong flags will be distributed to the first 1,500 fans through the door

• Locomotive players will wear specially designed El Paso Strong patches on their jerseys beginning on the 17th and through the remainder of the 2019 season

• American, German, and Mexican flags to be flown, honoring the victims

• El Paso Strong t-shirts to be worn by the team during warmups

• EP Fusion youth soccer team will be in attendance and participate in gameday activities. These young players and their coaches were directly impacted by the event on August 3rd.

• Proceeds from the game’s 50/50 raffle to be donated to Paso Del Notre Community Foundation’s El Paso Victims Fund

• 22 second moment of silence honoring the victims

• Color Guard comprised of first responders

• USL President Jake Edwards will be in attendance to pay his respects to the Borderland region

In addition to the $150,000 donation to the two Victims’ Relief Funds from the MountainStar Sports Group Foundation, a portion of each ticket sold through this fundraising promotion will benefit the El Paso Victims Relief Fund: https://mpv.tickets.com/?orgId=54013&agency=EPLV_PL_MPV&eventId=12850&coupon=ELPASOSTRONG&exclusiveCoupon=true#/event

El Paso Locomotive FC plays their next match at home on Saturday, August 17th against Tacoma Defiance at 7:30 and gates open at 6:30. Season Ticket Memberships, Group Tickets, and Individual Match Tickets can be purchased at https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/eplocomotivefc/ticket or by calling 915-235-GOAL!

What makes an El Pasoan? Is it being born here? Does it involve an extended stay in the city? If you transport yourself away do you lose that distinguishing factor? El Paso is a sense of community, it’s a handshake deal, a hug between strangers … it is an identity. When hate traveled over 800 miles to the Sun City, our people rallied and met hate with love and compassion. In the midst of this a newcomer to the Borderland stepped up and went beyond his duties as a professional athlete. He, along with a plethora of other Locomotive players embodied the spirit of this region. Sebastian Velasquez became what it means to be from El Chuco.

Velasquez joined EP Locomotive on July 9th. The creative midfielder spent time in the MLS and with other USL clubs before being added to the Locomotive roster. El Paso and the strong soccer community here welcomed him in as one of their own. Unbeknown to all, Velasquez and the community would be called upon to help one another in their time of need.

The tragedy that transpired on August 3rd shocked the nation and the world. When our city was throbbing, and had its heart broken, its citizens, its people, and our newest El Pasoans swiftly went into action.

Images of Locomotive players in line to give blood started circulating hours after the call for donations was sang across the city. Players were seen giving out water and snacks to those waiting in line who were willing to give a piece of themselves so that their neighbors, friends, brothers and sisters could live.

El Paso is different. We know our neighbors; the degree of separation in our city is microscopic. We all know someone’s cousin, or someone’s uncle who was our coach … We are so tight knit that when one of us hurts, we all hurt.

“All soccer players at one point in their early soccer playing days or another had to hold a fundraiser for uniforms, club fees, tournaments or anything else that was needed. I can’t even imagine what they all went through. I absolutely hate that they had to experience that as kids, and adults,” commented Velasquez, revisiting that dreadful Saturday that led to him springing into action in the community. When hate came to the Sun City, it affected and altered the lives of 22 families. Some of those lives included a local youth soccer club who at the time were holding a fundraiser at that Walmart.

“That’s where I saw a chance to take the initiative and step in. Let me put soccer aside and be a father, a human being and help this community. At the end of the day this isn’t just me, there are a lot of people involved and the response has been amazing,” continued Velasquez who found and helped promote an existing GoFundMe campaign established to raise funds for the team and their two coaches who were unfortunately shot.

“I didn’t create the campaign, but when I came across it, I knew I could do something. After I tweeted it out, it just spread. I was getting calls from other professional players across the world who wanted to help.” Help they did, the initial campaign aimed to raise $5,000. Four days after the campaign was live, it has already raised over $28,000 and is still climbing. Players from USL, MLS and from all around the world have donated to the cause and helped people they have never met.

Locomotive players didn’t stop there, they answered the call of a community in need and stepped up once more. The El Paso Legends Soccer game raised over $16,000 in charitable donations for the victims of the August 3rd attack and united the community once again. The event was hosted at the Student Activities Complex in far east El Paso and featured a friendly match amongst some of El Paso’s greatest soccer stars of the past. Sebastian and his teammates heavily promoted and attended the match the very same day they arrived back in town from an away match. The heavy representation of Locomotive players and the smiles they brought to the hundreds in attendance provided a beacon of light in a community blanketed in darkness.  

The road to healing is a long one but it is made better by finding the helpers in the fog of tragedy. Unity and a helping hand soften the blow. When one El Pasoan hurts, we all hurt. When one El Pasoan needs help, the city stands up. When a professional soccer player moves to the Sun City, he becomes one of us. El Paso is special. El Paso is community. El Paso is home. El Paso is strong.