EL PASO, Texas – El Paso Locomotive FC (6-West, 3-3-1, 10 points) are back on road this weekend, this time making a trip to Southern California for a Western Conference contest against San Diego Loyal SC on Saturday, April 29 at 8 p.m. MT.
With both teams on a 4-game unbeaten streak, Locomotive will go into Saturday’s match looking to become the first side to bring back points from Torero Stadium, where Loyal have posted a perfect home record to begin the season.
HOW TO WATCH EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC AT SAN DIEGO LOYAL SC – SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 2023 @ 8 P.M. MT – TORERO STADIUM
Stream: ESPN+
Locomotive Watch Party: Cabo Joe’s (7492 Gateway Blvd E) @ 8 p.m. MT.
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
Meeting for the first-time last season, Locomotive had bright moments in two matches against Loyal but unfortunately fell on both occasions. Coming into the weekend high in confidence, the third time might be the charm for El Paso to reverse last year’s results.
EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC (6TH WESTERN CONFERENCE, 3-3-1, 10 PTS)
Locomotive have turned around a slow start to the season in impressive fashion, going 3-0-1 in its last four matches, outscoring opponents 8-2 and recording three clean sheets.
Loyal may be undefeated at home but Locomotive has yet to drop points on the road. Their first away match saw them beat the odds and pull off one of the season’s biggest upsets so far, a 3-0 win at the home of 2022 Eastern Conference champions, Louisville City FC. Though the match at FC Tulsa finished in a 2-2 draw, Locomotive’s offensive ability was on full display that night and even saw forward Luis “Lucho” Solignac open his 2023 goal account with two goals.
Now the club’s all-time leading goal scorer in all competitions, Solignac has found his scoring form that is sure to keep Loyal’s defense on their toes. In his last three matches, he has found the back of the net on four occasions, which currently has him sitting as the joint-second top scorer in the Western Conference.
SAN DIEGO LOYAL SC (2ND WESTERN CONFERENCE, 4-1-2, 14 PTS)
Loyal are off to a strong start in 2023, currently undefeated at home and their only loss of the season handed to them by current Western Conference leaders, Sacramento Republic FC.
Falling to the Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, the quick turnaround could influence the squad’s physical performance as they, unlike Locomotive, have less time to rest and prepare ahead of Saturday’s contest. The loss, however, will serve as fuel for them as they look to get back into the win column and defend their unbeaten home record.
Forward Ronaldo Damus and midfielder Joe Corona, two of Loyal’s greatest chance creators so far this season, will be two players that Clarhaut is highly familiar with, having coached them just last year during his time as manager of GIF Sundsvall in Sweden.
LO QUE ESTAN DICIENDO
Head Coach and Technical Director Brian Clarhaut on what has motivated him and the team so far this season.
“It motivates me when people don’t respect us, and I take that personally. I like it when people don’t expect much from us and then we blindside them. Each group has their own personality, and this group likes to be disrespected because it’s a group that rolls up the sleeves. They got that El Paso type of blood in them to get after people that have tried to bring them down.”
Midfielder Liam Rose on the team’s current run of form.
“We take a lot of confidence out of this run and look to keep that going. The staff are working hard with video to show us things we can improve on, but we know as a team what we need to. We’ll keep pushing and continue that this weekend.”
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.