El Paso Locomotive (9-1-4, 31 points) dismantled Real Monarchs, 3-1, at Southwest University Park on Saturday night. Forward Lucho Solignac recorded two goals to lead the Locomotive attack while Forward Aaron Gomez opened the Locos scoring to extend his all-time club leading goal count.
“It’s another Final,” said Head Coach and Technical Director Mark Lowry. “Today was Final #14 of the season against Real Monarchs. On Wednesday, it will be Final #15 of the season against San Antonio. That’s the kind of mentality that we have and that’s how you keep accumulating points across the season which ultimately leads you to where you want to be.”
Saturday’s match kicked off to a slow opening in the first half that saw neither side with any real opportunities towards goal. For Locomotive the best chance came through Fox who took a chance that was barely deflected and sent wide over. It wouldn’t be until the 17th minute that Real Monarchs broke the deadlock through Charles Wehan though their lead would not last long. MF Sebastian Velasquez expertly out dribbled his defenders, creating an opening for Gomez to bury one deep into the net for the equalizer in the 24th minute. The two continued to battle through the midfield though the first half ultimately ended even.
As has been the tale of the season, El Paso Locomotive exploded out of the gate in the second half, dominating its visitors from Utah. Lucho, Velasquez, Gomez, and Forward Leandro Carrijo paired expertly in the final third, dismantling the defensive lineup set by former MLS Defender of the Year, Monarchs Coach Jamison Olave. The pairing ultimately paid off as Lucho recorded his brace tapping in the ball saved by Jeffrey Dewsnap in the 68th minute before doubling it up by rounding the Monarch’s keeper for an open goal in the 81st. The overall complete performance by El Paso Locomotive earned the full three points in the middle of a tough stretch of games.
UP NEXT: El Paso Locomotive continues its homestand with a rematch against San Antonio FC on Wednesday, August 4. Kickoff from Southwest University Park is set for 7:00 p.m. MT. Tickets are available for purchase at https://www.eplocomotivefc.com/tickets or by calling 915-235-GOAL. The match will also be broadcast life digitally on ESPN+.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN
SLC: Charles Wehan (Aris Briggs), 17th minute: With quick passing, Briggs picked up the ball, turning it in the box before laying it back into the path of Wehan. Wehan took the opportunity to settle the ball before firing low to tuck it into the corner for the opening goal.
ELP: Aaron Gomez (Sebastian Velasquez), 24th minute: Velasquez broke down the Monarchs’ defense with incredible ball control and dribbling, beating his marked defenders with apparent ease. When the chance opened itself, Velasquez passed the ball into the center of the box where Gomez capitalized with a quick shot deep into the back of the net to equalize.
ELP: Lucho Solignac, 68th minute: Defender Eder Borelli set up a picture-perfect cross to find Lucho at the center of the box. Lucho hit the header into the hands of Monarch’s goalkeeper Jeffery Dewsnap but cleaned up the deflection with a right-footed shot into the back of the net.
ELP: Lucho Solignac (Nick Ross), 81st minute: Lucho wrapped up the night’s scoring as he and Ross broke past the Monarchs backline. Ross laid the ball off to find Lucho on the side, who rounded the Monarch’s keeper to create a wide-open net, which he passed the ball into for the third Locos goal of the night.
NOTES:
– DF Andrew Fox and DF Macca King make their returns to the Starting XI. For Fox, it is the first time he has appeared in the Starting XI since September of 2020 while King makes his return following a month out.
– Mark Lowry’s lineup saw significant changes to the team that won 2-1 against San Antonio FC on Wednesday. Most notably, DF Eder Borelli and FW Lucho Solignac earned rest in favor of DF Andrew Fox and FW Leandro Carrijo.
– FW Aaron Gomez scored his 4th goal of the season, extending his regular-season club leading goal count to 15.
Match: El Paso Locomotive vs Real Monarchs
Date: July 31, 2021
Venue: Southwest University Park; El Paso, Texas
Weather: 88F and partly cloudy
Scoring Summary 1 2 F
El Paso Locomotive FC 1 2 3
Real Monarchs 1 0 1
SLC – Charles Wehan (Aris Briggs), 17’
ELP – Aaron Gomez (Sebastian Velasquez), 24’
ELP – Lucho Solignac, 68’
ELP – Lucho Solignac (Nick Ross), 81’
Lineups:
El Paso Locomotive FC (4-2-3-1): Logan Ketterer; Andrew Fox (Eder Borelli, 58’), Mechack Jerome, Yuma, Macca King (Bryam Rebllon, 46’), Chapa Herrera (Matt Bahner, 79’), Richie Ryan, Aaron Gomez, Dylan Mares (Nick Ross, 76’), Sebastian Velasquez (Diego Luna, 79’), Leandro Carrijo (Lucho Solignac, 58’)
Subs not used: Ben Beaury
Real Monarchs (4-2-3-1): Jeffrey Dewsnap; Bret Halsey, Kyle Adams, Noah Powder, Jaziel Orozco (James Moberg, 64’), Ibrahim Bance (Esequiel Coronel, 82’), Malik Johnson, Charles Wehan (Bode Davis, 46’), Jeizon Ramirez (Josimar Quintero, 58’), Sam Brown, Aris Briggs (Max Mata, 64’)
Subs not used: Gavin Beavers, Daniel Flores
Stats Summary: ELP | SLC
Shots: 17 | 12
Shots on Goal: 5 | 3
Saves: 3 | 4
Corner Kicks: 5 | 2
Fouls: 12 | 17
Offside: 3 | 1
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
SLC – Jeizon Ramirez (Caution), 29’
ELP – Macca King (Caution), 40’
ELP – Chapa Herrera (Caution), 64’
SLC – Josimar Quintero (Caution), 68’
SLC – Esequiel Coronel (Caution), 84’