EL PASO, Texas (March 6, 2026) – El Paso Locomotive FC begin the 2026 USL Championship regular season against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Saturday, March 7 at 7:00 p.m. at Southwest University Park. The match will be streamed on ESPN+, KVIA.com and the KVIA News App.
HOW TO WATCH EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC VS COLORADO SPRINGS SWITCHBACKS FC – SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2026 @ 7:00 P.M. MT – SOUTHWEST UNIVERSITY PARK – EL PASO, TEXAS
Watch: ESPN+, KVIA.com AND KVIA News app
Tickets: eplocomotivefc.com/tickets
Match Sponsor: Southwest University
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.
KEY STORYLINES
After a rough 2024 campaign, El Paso Locomotive FC surged up to fourth place in the Western Conference last season earning a home playoff match in the First Round where they fell 1-0 to Phoenix Rising FC. The club set the overall single-season goals record (62) and made their furthest ever run in the U.S. Open Cup, advancing to the Round of 32 where they fell 3-2 at Austin FC.
Historically a defensive-oriented side, Locomotive boasted a high-flying attack in 2025 with their starting forward trio (Amando Moreno-Andy Cabrera-Beto Avila) combining for 31 goals and 16 assists. Gabi Torres set the club single season record for assists (11) while Eric Calvillo added eight goal contributions (four goals, four assists) in the midfield.
The club saw a transition of leadership in the offseason with new general manager Mike DiGiulio and head coach Junior Gonzalez taking the reins of the organization. DiGiulio joins El Paso Locomotive FC after serving in a similar role with Monterey Bay FC, where he played a key role in launching the club and establishing its competitive and operational foundation while also overseeing the development and renovation of Cardinale Stadium.
Gonzalez arrives in El Paso with an impressive 25-year coaching career domestically that includes stints in Major League Soccer, USL Championship and MLS Next Pro. His most recent coaching experience came as the head coach for Los Angeles FC II since 2024. In his time in MLS Next Pro, Gonzalez had 19 total players promoted to first team contracts in MLS and has worked with likes of Zlatan Ibrahimoviç, Jonathan and Giovani dos Santos, Ashley Cole and Xherdan Shaqiri.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
F Amando Moreno: Moreno reached the 50 regular season goal milestone in USL Championship last season in his best year in a Locomotive jersey. The 30-year-old led the team in goals last season in USL play (10) while adding on four assists. His presence on either wing of the Locomotive attack will be a welcome sign for El Paso fans hoping for more goals in 2026.
M Gabi Torres: After arriving from Phoenix, Torres enjoyed the best season of his career in 2025 setting the club assist record with 11 across all competitions while adding six goals. The Brazilian midfielder was instrumental to Locomotive’s attack on the left side with his playmaking ability and is looking to pick up where he left off for this season.
M Eric Calvillo: The longest tenured Loco, Calvillo enters his fifth season with the club as the all-time leader in starts (119) and minutes played (10,510). He tallied four goals and four assists in 2025 and figures to be a key part of the updated team philosophy to turn defense into offense.
D Ricky Ruiz: A staple at left back for Los Locos in 2025, Ruiz led Locomotive in appearances (37), intercpetions (41) and tackles (56) last season. His combination play with Torres and Moreno on the left hand side devastated defenses last season while his stability defensively provides a steady hand for Locomotive fans to count on.
NEW ADDITIONS
F Rubio Rubín: The Guatemalan striker gives Los Locos the nine they desperately needed last season in the middle of the attack. Rubín recorded four goals and three assists off the bench primarily with Charleston in 2025 but has valuable experience in top professional leagues and with the Guatemalan national team where he scored the game-tying goal last summer in their upset victory over Canada in the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
F Diego Abitia: The other center forward option Los Locos acquired in the offseason also has knack for goal and should fight for early minutes. He excelled in the Liga MX U-21 Apertura season last fall with nine goals in 14 appearances. Abitia has also lifted two trophies in Mexico’s reserve leagues with Atlético de San Luis (fall 2024) and Deportivo Toluca FC (spring 2023).
M Alex Mendez: A recent acquistion from Tampa Bay, Mendez shined after signing with the Rowdies midway through 2025 compiling a goal, three assists and 14 chances created in just eight appearances. Mendez has experience in the Borderplex previously playing with FC Juárez in Liga MX while providing some positional flexibility for Junior Gonzalez in the midfield.
G Abraham Romero: Recently a part of the Columbus Crew SC system in MLS, Romero has impressed so far in the preseason between the sticks including a trio of spectacular saves in Locomotive’s 4-1 friendly win over New Mexico United last Saturday. He returns to his fifth USL side ready to make a difference with his massive frame and ability to distribute out of the back.
OPPONENT INFO: Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
This is the second straight year that El Paso and Colorado Springs begin the regular season at Southwest University Park. This will be the 21st overall meeting between these two clubs, the most of any opponent for Locomotive. El Paso have also scored more goals against COS (30) than any other opponent.
Colorado Springs won the USL Championship in 2024 and are looking to make another run under new head coach Alan McCann, previously their technical director and assistant coach. The club finished eighth in the Western Conference in 2025 and were bounced in the first round of the playoffs against eventual conference champions FC Tulsa.
The club made some big moves in the offseason to strengthen their side highlighted by former New Mexico United defender Talen Maples who will pair with Matt Mahoney as one of the league’s most formidable center back duos. They also acquired Colin Shutler, who shut out Locomotive twice last season with Orange County SC, and brought back four-time USL Cup champion Speedy Williams. Former Locomotive midfielder Frank Daroma also landed with the Switchbacks but is unavailable for Saturday’s match.
KEY LOCOMOTIVE STATISTICS
– The 2025 Locomotive squad set the single-season club scoring record across all competitions with 62 goals.
– Los Locos won the most fouls (546) and allowed the fewest shots (292) in the USL Championship in 2025.
– Locomotive finished fourth in the USL Championship in possession in 2025 (54.48%).
– Ricky Ruiz ranked second in the league in interceptions (41) with Gabi Torres not far behind in seventh (37).
RECENT LOCOMOTIVE QUOTES
HC Junior Gonzalez on team readiness for 2026:
“I think the guys are chomping at the bit to start the season. I feel like probably the most complete performance of the preseason was against New Mexico on Saturday, so we’re happy with where the team is at. Anytime you start a season, there’s going to be some unknowns, but what I see is a confident group that believes in what we’re teaching, and I do believe that our New Mexico game was a good example of what we can see moving forward in the season.”
Gonzalez on shifting philosophy entering 2026:
“Every team is different. Every team is going to have new personnel, and some teams have new coaches. I’m trying not to look too much in the past and instead just look at what’s next in tomorrow’s session and how we prepare. That’s how I approach the players. I’ve told the guys a lot let’s limit the conversations about last year, and let’s talk about the future and our team with our collective unit.”
Amando Moreno on mentality after much-improved 2025:
“There’s a lot to build on from last year. We don’t have as much to improve as the year before that, but as long as the communication and the vibe is good on the team, I think that’s what really helped us out last year as we tried to to get better. Being united should make it easier for us this season.”
Eric Calvillo on being back in El Paso for his fifth season:
“It feels exciting for sure. We’ve been waiting for this moment to get back into our stadium with our fans and start the season up. Last year didn’t end the way we wanted it, so just having another opportunity to start again with new players and a new coaching staff feels great.”
Calvillo on what to expect in home opener:
“Last weekend’s result was definitely a positive for us, and the philosophy that we have been working on really showed. It’s very reassuring to us to know that we can compete in the way our coaching staff want us to. Early on, it’s about getting into a good rhythm for ourselves and continuing to get comfortable with each other and the system.”