You know what’s better than a one-game week? A two-game week! Thankfully, that’s what we have on our hands here. After Rio Grande Valley on Wednesday, we’re coming back home to take on New Mexico United. Let’s break it down.
MATCH DETAILS: USL Championship Regular Season Game #9; vs New Mexico United; 7:30 p.m. MT kickoff; Gates Open at 6:30 p.m. MT
VENUE/WEATHER: Southwest University Park; El Paso, Texas; Forecasted 88F degrees and partly cloudy.
TICKETS: SOLD OUT! But click here for tickets to any (or all) of our other games this season!
WATCH: ESPN+ | El Paso – Las Cruces CW
RECORDS/STANDINGS: Locomotive: 4-1-3 (15 points, MTN-2); United: 4-4-2 (14 points, MTN-4)
PREVIOUS MEETING: Locomotive opened its 2021 USL Championship season against New Mexico United, ending their dreams of an early three points in the season with a late stoppage-time goal from Leandro Carrijo. The match was the first professional appearance by Diego Luna, whose impact was immediately felt by the cross to Aaron Gomez who set Carrijo up for his equalizing goal.
BOUNCING BACK
It had to come to an end eventually. I just wish it didn’t have to end so soon. After an incredible 18-games, the undefeated streak has officially come to an end behind a 3-2 loss to RGVFC. On the positive side, we may be down, but we are far from out and I would argue we aren’t even down. Mark Lowry’s men have always been the kind to bounce back and fight to the bitter end. We’ve seen Locomotive make outstanding comebacks and if they lose a game, they come back and fight harder in the next one. Come Saturday, expect the boys in blue to fight with tenacity and get back on track for Mountain Division supremacy.
NO REST FOR THE WICKED
Listen, it’s tough trying to fit 32 games into a five-month (plus a week or two) season. That kind of schedule is going to lead to a lot of tight turnarounds and multi-week games. You might remember, Locomotive has already had a moment where it played four games within a two-week period, and we haven’t even made it to the packed month of October. On Wednesday night, both El Paso and New Mexico played, suffering 3-2 losses against their respective opponents. Come Saturday, both sides will be playing with a rotated squad, tired legs, and an eagerness to right some wrongs from midweek.
FIREWORKS WILL FLY
You know I had to use this play on words – everyone uses this play on words. In our case though, it might be more true than usual. It’s no secret El Paso Locomotive and New Mexico United don’t like each other. Every time the two step onto the pitch, there is a level of passion, drama, and grit that you only get in the Derby del Camino Real. When you add in a sold-out capacity crowd and a pair of midweek losses, you are just guaranteeing an electrifying night at Southwest University Park.
RETURN OF SEBASTIAN VELASQUEZ
After a year and a half away from El Paso, the Colombian midfielder, Sebastian Velasquez, makes his return to Locomotive. You might remember him from when he signed with the team in the summer of 2019, where he went on to find five goals and two assists in just 16 matches to help lift the team to a Western Conference Final appearance. Well, now he is back and looking forward to continuing what he started. Los Locos still have 24 games to play this season, including Saturday against New Mexico, so there is plenty of time for Velasquez to fit back into the Locomotive squad and for the team to make waves across the USL.
A SLIDING UNITED
New Mexico United hasn’t exactly been the strong team we’ve come to know them to be over the recent weeks, though that’s not to say they aren’t a threat. United is currently a point behind Locomotive in the Mountain Division standings, having played additional two games, and they possess the ability to score goals. In their last four games, United has scored four times in the first half, however, they have only won one out of those four. After shutting out a scoreless draw against Austin Bold FC, United picked up a 2-0 win over San Antonio FC then fell 3-1 to Switchbacks. Most recently, United commanded a 2-0 lead over the Monarchs, only to leave three goals unanswered and give up the full three points on a 3-2 loss. Make no mistake about it, New Mexico is still a threat not to be taken lightly, but this a team that has also fallen to some of the lower table teams including Loudoun United and the Monarchs.