On Saturday, the battle of East vs West continues when El Paso Locomotive hosts Eastern Conference foe, Hartford Athletic. Heading into the weekend ‘bout a thinly spread El Paso Locomotive squad is aiming to break into the Top 3 of the Western Conference standings as it quickly approaches the halfway point of the season.
This weekend will offer a familiar challenge for Head Coach John Hutchinson: Personnel. It was a challenge he and his team faced at the start of the season and hoped he had overcome with every player in market. Week 13 of the USL Championship brings with it a thin roster for El Paso, as the squad has injuries, international commitments, suspensions, and departures.
Defender Shavon John-Brown, Midfielder Christiano Francois, and Midfielder Eric Calvillo are competing for ‘club-and-country’ in the CONCACAF Nation’s League. Forward Lucho Solignac will be missing due to the red card last weekend. Then of course, the notable blockbuster transfer of Midfielder Diego Luna to Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer.
Following Tuesday’s training session, Hutchinson candidly mentioned to members of the media that it will be difficult international break, as it leaves El Paso Locomotive without much depth. Despite that though, El Paso Locomotive is on the same page as to what needs to be accomplished.
The mindset is just to stay strong, stay together as a group, and to keep pushing because going down a man is always difficult,” said Midfielder Dylan Mares. “We just have to come out, compete, and fight. You see guys pushing and putting their bodies on the line. That’s dedication to the team to get the win and keep getting these points in these difficult moments. Now we’re missing some guys. It’s going to be another tough game for us, but we have guys who are stepping up big time. Everyone here is ready to fight and compete.”
The 1-0 win against Las Vegas Lights FC last Saturday showcased the level of resilience found in the Locomotive locker room. Over the weekend, Locomotive was already missing Diego Luna and Christiano Francois among those on the road to recovery. To add to the challenge, the Locos played with 10-men on the field for the entirety of the second half. As the challenges loomed, Locomotive pulled together and fought for the three points with a goal just past the hour mark.
“The boys were sensational,” said John Hutchinson. “The courage they showed to continue to play and fight with ten men was very good. I couldn’t be prouder as a coach to say that was one of the better results this season in terms of the resilience we showed to get the result.
That character and courage will have to be called upon again as the Locos face Hartford Athletic.
Hutchinson said we can expect the line up on Saturday to be young. Against Vegas, Locomotive featured three Academy players, all who came in as second-half substitutions to freshen up the match. With the even lighter squad for this weekend against Hartford, it’s a safe guess to say the bench will be young with the Academy players getting another opportunity. With the way Locomotive trains, there is trust that spreads throughout the entire squad – Academy included.
“It’s just going to be next man up kind of thing,” Goalkeeper Evan Newton said. “I think we’ve been like that all year. Whoever is in, we trust them. There is a lot of talent on this team from top to bottom and there isn’t a lot of let up at all from the first guy to the last. We’re very fortunate in the at sense. We know whoever is coming in is talented and we just fight for each other. Then the Academy kids, we’re probably going to have rely on a little bit again. They came in and did a great job this weekend and I’m sure they’ll do the same moving forward. We trust everybody. We just have to come in and put the work in.”
Historically, Locomotive has had success against teams from the Eastern Conference. In seven matches, Locomotive has won five, lost one, and tied one. The single loss came just weeks ago against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in Pennsylvania. On the other side, Hartford Athletic has suffered against Western Conference teams, losing twice while winning once and earning the draw once in four matches.
Both Locomotive and Hartford started the 2022 season the same way. While El Paso has been able to get running to compete among the top of the West, Hartford continues to falter at the bottom of the East. Athletic has only earned two wins, both of which came within the last three games at home. The first came against Loudoun United (1-0) and the second against New York Red Bulls II (3-2). Both wins came at their home stadium in Connecticut leaving Hartford without a win on the road so far in 2022.
On paper, Locomotive is the overwhelming favorite. FiveThirtyEight, a statistical analysis and probability site, lists El Paso as 59% to pick up the three points. The pre-match scouting leaves the Locos expecting a similar style of play that they saw in Pittsburgh.
Hutchinson said he expects a team that would be quick in transition and push numbers forward. Mares echoed the thoughts while adding that Hartford Athletic will likely try to play with width by getting the ball out to wingers and serve it in. Ultimately, Locomotive will be focusing on themselves and what they can control. The Locos will aim to dominate possession on their home field, press high, and give the Locomotive faithful an exciting game to watch.