EL PASO, Texas – In one of its biggest tests of the season, El Paso Locomotive FC (2-West, 8-3-1, 25 points) make the trip to Toyota Field in its first game of this year’s Copa Tejas against the reigning USL Championship Title-Winners San Antonio FC.
Entering this match, El Paso are undefeated in nine league contests and are on a seven-game win streak whereas San Antonio is unbeaten in its last 22 home matches in the league, a streak that began with a 1-0 win against El Paso on April 16, 2022.
HOW TO WATCH EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC AT SAN ANTONIO FC – SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 2023 @ 8 P.M. MT – TOYOTA FIELD
Stream: ESPN+
Watch Party: Union Draft House Sunland (730 Sunland Park Dr Ste A)
Be sure to follow @eplocomotivefc on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for live updates of the match. Additionally, fans are encouraged to download the team’s official mobile app on the Apple App Store or Google Play for instant access to mobile tickets, team content and match notifications.
ALL-TIME SERIES
In nine league meetings, El Paso has recorded three wins and two draws against SAFC.
EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC (2ND WESTERN CONFERENCE, 8-3-1, 25 PTS)
The most in-form team in the USL Championship at the moment, El Paso has a chance this Saturday to jump into the league history books. With a victory, El Paso would become joint-fifth in league history for longest winning streak and joint-fourth in consecutive road wins.
A win in Locomotive’s first Copa Tejas match of the year would also snap a four-game winless streak (3L-1D) against SAFC. The last victory against San Antonio was at Toyota Field on July 28, 2021, the year Locomotive won the Copa Tejas Shield for the first time in club history.
Notably on defense, Locomotive have only allowed four goals in its last seven matches and goalkeeper Benny Diaz stands alone at fifth in the league for clean sheets (5). 22-year-old Erik McCue has filled in big since veteran captain Yuma picked up an injury in Week 9, pairing up well with fellow center back Bence Pavkovics to combine for six-won tackles, 14 clearances and 10 interceptions in the last three games.
On the attack, Los Locos continue their 11-game scoring streak, which is currently a club best. Midfielder Denys Kostyshyn scored the most recent goal for El Paso, the game-winner being his third goal of the season and helping him secure a third Team of the Week honor alongside defender Eder Borelli who provided the assist.
SAN ANTONIO FC (3RD WESTERN CONFERENCE, 6-2-5, 23 PTS)
Picking up a result at Toyota Field won’t be an easy feat. They are undefeated in their last 28 matches at home across all competitions and unbeaten in their last 53 matches when scoring first.
Though their match against San Diego Loyal ended in a draw, the way San Antonio lost hold of the lead was unprecedented. Per the USL Championship, it was the first time that SAFC had held a three-goal lead against an opponent and failed to come away with victory.
Additionally, forward Tani Oluwaseyi, who leads the team in goals (5) and assists (2), picked up a red card and will be unavailable for SAFC against Locomotive.
LO QUE ESTAN DICIENDO
Head Coach and Technical Director Brian Clarhaut on the team’s ever-growing chemistry.
“Good teams that I’ve had, they’ve been brothers on and off the pitch, and we have that here. We’re developing something and we’ve grown something quite special. It’s a fantastic team to work with.”
Defender Eder Borelli on the team’s string of victories.
“We are really happy with the great winning streak, but we know we are not done yet. We have a great test on Saturday against a great team, so we are pushing and working hard to bring home another three points.”
ADDITIONAL INFO
The full 2023 regular season match schedule can be found HERE. All USL Championship regular season and playoff games will be available to stream on ESPN+ in 2023. All Saturday home games will be simulcast on KTSM.com and Estrella TV 9.2 (Cable 1244).
All tickets for 2023, including Individual Match, Season Tickets and Pick Six Membership are on sale now and are available for purchase online at eplocomotivefc.com/tickets or within the official mobile app.
Fans who would like to secure full season tickets for the 2023 season can lock in their season ticket membership online by clicking HERE, calling (915) 235-GOAL or texting (915) 666-2005. You can also call (915) 235-GOAL for more information on Group Outings and Premium Suites. El Paso Locomotive FC does offer military discounts, which can be purchased HERE.
To check out the full 2023 promotional schedule, click HERE.
In need of gear to rep your Locomotive and El Paso pride year-round? Visit the official El Paso Locomotive FC Team Shop online HERE, in the team’s official mobile app or visit the physical retail store (1 Ballpark Plaza, El Paso, TX 79901) Monday through Saturday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.