The Loco Express
El Paso Locomotive (1) vs Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (1)
Saturday, June 12; Southwest University Park; El Paso, Texas
El Paso Locomotive and Colorado Springs Switchbacks duked it out for 90 minutes in a game that ultimately ended on level terms with a goal apiece. Locomotive kicked off strong, finding yet another early goal in the 12th minute from a set-piece corner. Midfielder Dylan Mares served in a picture-perfect ball into the center of the box where Defender Macca King was left unmarked with plenty of space to redirect it into goal. Locomotive fought through the remainder of the match, struggling to find the second goal that would have been the insurance needed for a win, however, it was not to be. In the second half, a foul in the penalty box going the other way afforded Switchbacks the opportunity to convert the penalty kick and equalize the scoring to split the points at Southwest Univeristy Park.
At the end of a long, nearly two weeks of games, Head Coach Mark Lowry rotated the roster, placing Midfielder Nick Ross in what typically is Richie Ryan’s position. Ross filled the role, however, dictating the defensive midfield and playing the part in transitioning the ball from the defense to the offensive half. Throughout the night, Ross completed 31 out of 37 passes (83.8%) including one key pass to set up El Paso with a chance for goal. Coupled with a team-leading three clearances and two interceptions, Ross’ performance netted him Estrella of the Match at the end of the night.
21. Saturday’s contest between Locomotive and Switchbacks turned out to be a chippy one, with the ref blowing his whistle for a foul 21 times throughout the night. In the end, it was that whistle that sealed the fate on a 1-1 draw as Switchbacks drew a foul within the box to earn a penalty that Hadji Barry converted. The Locomotive defense held strong throughout the night, however, a few unfortunate calls was all it took to force the teams into splitting the points.
The draw with Colorado Springs Switchbacks makes El Paso Locomotive undefeated to open the 2021 USL Championship. Even more impressive, thanks to results on the Eastern Conference, Locomotive is now the only team across the league to not have a mark in the loss column. The draw also extends the Locomotive undefeated record that kicked off with the 4-2 over Switchbacks on August 8, 2020, to 20 games (11-0-9) and its undefeated home record to 13 games (8-0-5). Locomotive continues rolling through its third campaign in the USL Championship, with its eyes set for the top spot of the Mountain Division.
El Paso Locomotive (3-0-3) keeps rolling, taking its dominant record north to visit Herriman, Utah where it will take on Real Monarchs (1-4-2) at Zions Bank Stadium. Eager to extend its unbeaten streak and close the gap with top seed Rio Grande Valley FC, Locomotive will be aiming to roll over a Monarchs side that has only recorded a single win after six games to start the season.
Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. MT on Friday, June 18, and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.