EL PASO, Texas – April 3, 2026 – El Paso Locomotive FC returns to Southwest University Park looking to build on their strong start to the 2026 campaign as they take on Las Vegas Lights FC on Saturday night, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. MT in a Western Conference showdown.
Watch: ESPN+, KVIA.com, KVIA App
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KEY STORY LINES
FULL STEAM AHEAD
El Paso Locomotive FC returns home after four road contests to face Las Vegas Lights FC on Saturday, April 4, at 7 p.m. MT at Southwest University Park. The match can be streamed on ESPN+, KVIA.com, or the KVIA News App. Locomotive enters the contest unbeaten through its three league matches and looks to build on that momentum.
LOOKING BACK
USL Championship
El Paso Locomotive FC earned a 2–1 road victory at Sacramento Republic FC, improving to an unbeaten start to the 2026 season and picking up three points at Heart Health Park. Despite being outshot 16–8 and conceding 61% possession, El Paso limited Sacramento to one goal. Sebastian Mora-Mora recorded five saves, including key stops late in stoppage time to preserve the win. Sacramento scored a stoppage-time penalty, but Locomotive closed out the match to secure their first win in Sacramento since 2019.
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
El Paso Locomotive FC made derby history, marking the first time in the Derby del Camino Real that the club has scored more than three goals against New Mexico United, while also securing its sixth all-time win in the series. Before tonight, neither side had ever scored more than three goals in a single derby match. With the victory, the all-time series now stands at 6-7-8. The rivalry continues May 6 in Albuquerque before shifting to Southwest University Park on July 11 as part of the USL Cup and will conclude on October 24, 2026.
COMING HOME
El Paso Locomotive FC is navigating its second stretch in club history of four consecutive road matches, previously doing so from April 13–26, 2025, when the club went 0-1-3. This time around, Los Locos opened their 2026 road swing with a perfect 4-0 record. El Paso returns home on Saturday, April 4, to face Las Vegas Lights FC.
STRONG START IN LEAGUE PLAY
Los Locos have opened the 2026 USL Championship season with a 2-1-0 record, earning 7 points (2.33 points per match) to sit third in the Western Conference. Locomotive has scored seven goals in three matches, averaging 2.0 goals per game, highlighting one of the more productive attacks early in the season. El Paso has conceded three goals (1.0 per match) while maintaining a positive goal differential (+4), showing early balance between attacking production and defensive stability.
HISTORIC UNBEATEN RUN
El Paso Locomotive FC has reached a milestone stretch of form, going unbeaten in five consecutive matches for the first time in club history to open a season. The only comparable run came in 2021, when Los Locos put together a seven-match unbeaten streak (4-0-3), marking the longest such stretch in club history.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS LAS VEGAS LIGHTS FC
El Paso Locomotive FC holds a 7-4-0 advantage in 11 all-time regular-season meetings against Las Vegas Lights FC. Locomotive has won five of the last seven matchups, including a dominant 6-0 victory in the most recent meeting on August 2, 2025, at Southwest University Park.
LAST TIME OUT VS LAS VEGAS LIGHTS FC
Locomotive delivered a dominant 6-0 victory at Southwest University Park on August 2, 2025, while controlling the match from start to finish, holding 58.5% possession while outshooting Las Vegas 20-6 overall and 11-3 on target. Locomotive converted more than half of their shots on goal, while Las Vegas Lights FC had just three shots on target and recorded three saves to secure the clean sheet, capping off the largest margin of victory in the all-time series.
LOCOS LIGHT UP DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCES
Locomotive has recorded five clean sheets in the series, including shutouts in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025. In Locomotive victories, Los Locos have limited Las Vegas to just two total goals across seven meetings.
ATTACKING OUTPUT IN THE LIGHT
El Paso Locomotive have registered 168 total shots across the series (15.3 per match) with 59 on target. Their most aggressive attacking outing came in the 4-5 loss on March 23, 2022, when they recorded 21 shots and eight on goal. In the 6-0 win in 2025, Locomotive converted 11 shots on target into six goals.
MÉNDEZ MAKES HIS MARK
Alex Méndez has scored three goals across all competitions in 2026, with all three coming on set pieces – a free kick, a penalty, and a second-half dead-ball finish in U.S. Open Cup play. He also added an assist in the season opener, giving him four goal contributions, which ranks among the team leaders early in the season.
MIDFIELDER MÉNDEZ RECEIVES HONORS
Midfielder Alex Méndez was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week following his standout performance in El Paso’s 2–1 road victory at Sacramento Republic FC. Méndez delivered a decisive impact in the match, recording one goal and one assist, including converting a penalty in the 37th minute to help secure the result. Defensively, Méndez won four of four duels, adding six recoveries and three interceptions. The honor marks Méndez’s second Team of the Week selection of the 2026 season after previously earning recognition in Week 2.
RUBÍN LEADS THE ATTACK
Forward Rubio Rubín has been a key attacking figure for El Paso Locomotive FC in 2026, recording 5 goals across all competitions, including 3 goals in USL Championship play and 2 in the U.S. Open Cup.
In league play, Rubin has registered 5 shots with 4 on target (80.0%), showcasing his clinical finishing and ability to consistently test opposing goalkeepers. Rubin has been equally effective in tournament play, scoring 2 goals on 4 shots in the U.S. Open Cup, maintaining a 50% shot accuracy rate while averaging 2.00 goals per 90 minutes in the competition.
EARLY ATTACKING OUTPUT
El Paso Locomotive FC has scored five goals through its first two matches of the 2026 USL Championship season. The Locomotive attack has produced 21 total shots with 12 on target, while generating 21 key passes and 20 chances created, highlighting the club’s ability to consistently create opportunities in the final third.
PUTTING ON THE PRESSURE
El Paso Locomotive FC has established itself as a high-volume attacking team early in the 2026 USL Championship season. Los Locos are averaging 12.3 shots per match with 5.0 on target, translating into 2.33 goals per match. Locomotive is converting chances, needing more than five shots per goal while maintaining a 19% conversion rate. Locomotive recorded 10+ shots in a majority of matches, showing a consistent attacking presence regardless of opponent or venue.
WIPE IT CLEAN
El Paso has conceded just three goals to open the season while recording one clean sheet in league play. Abraham Romero recorded his first clean sheet in a Loco’s uniform at Monterey Bay FC on March 14. It marked the club’s first clean sheet since Sebastian Mora-Mora recorded one in a 0–0 draw on the road at Orange County SC on October 4, 2025. Following the 3–0 victory at Monterey Bay FC, Locomotive logged two more clean sheets, both coming in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matches – a 2–0 win at Laredo Heat SC on March 19 and against New Mexico United with a 4-0 domination in Albuquerque.