Locomotive Takes Lessons Learned to Improve for the Next
“When you go through growing pains and learning experiences, it makes you tougher down the road.”
The former New York Yankee Brian Roberts said it best. Now, Head Coach and Technical Director John Hutchinson has made it perfectly clear in the weeks leading up to the Sacramento Republic season opener and in his comments post-game following the home opener this is not a rebuild year, nor does he believe in rebuild years.
It’s true El Paso Locomotive FC isn’t rebuilding anything. The team has what it takes to be successful and is in a good position to ultimately reach the level of success that El Paso has come to expect from the team. It is no secret that El Paso Locomotive FC is playing a different style of football than it has in the first three years of play. While this is far from being a rebuild year under the new management, with a slew of new talent entering the fold, the team has understandably experienced a few growing pains in the first two matches.
El Paso Locomotive FC has outplayed and outperformed in its first two matches. Dominating in possession, creating, and taking chances towards goal, the Locos are essentially doing everything they need to be doing and they are doing it correctly. Simply put, it’s going to take time for the team to reach the level of play that they want to be competing at.
“The way I want the team to play, we don’t have enough legs to go 90 minutes yet,” commented Hutchinson in his post-game press conference on Saturday. “We want what we do at the start of the game to go for 90 minutes. As a team, we’ve talked about being desperate for goals, about being aggressive, and about being ruthless at both ends.”
There is no time to dwell on the past two games now, however. El Paso Locomotive hit the ground running after Saturday night with only three days separating the match against New Mexico United with the next match against Las Vegas Lights FC. With little time to spare, the team took Sunday to recover and recuperate, before being pushed against on Monday and Tuesday.
In his post-game comments on Saturday, Coach Hutchinson mentioned the team would focus on the defensive style of play while keeping true to the identity of being a team that will dominate in possession and utilize speed and forward runs in the attacking half to get on the board quickly and often.
The quick turnaround is something the players are eager for too. Especially after a loss, the sooner they can put the game behind them and begin focusing on the next one, the better.
“The longer you sit and wait and you listen to your thoughts, you have to do more to prepare again,” said Midfielder Dylan Mares. “I like quick turnarounds, especially after a loss. You can start to regroup and build momentum.”
The team is fired up to return quickly to Southwest University Park. El Paso turned out in droves on Saturday, with a franchise second-best attendance record. It was something the new players and coaching staff took definite notice of and appreciated throughout the full 90 minutes.
With the momentum of another home crowd behind them, the team is hungrier than ever to get their first three points of the season and begin swinging momentum back into the favor of Locomotive. However, a team like Las Vegas Lights might prove to be more a challenge than anticipated.
Over the weekend, Las Vegas pulled out the upset victory over Phoenix Rising FC, winning 2-1 behind goals from Danny Trejo and Alvaro Quezada at Cashman Field in Nevada. Despite being out-possessed and outplayed throughout the 90 minutes, Vegas scrapped up a two-goal lead before conceding one to a rallying Rising side.
Additionally, Locomotive will be missing some key players who have made appearances in the first two games to international duty. Defender Shavon John-Brown and Midfielders Eric Calvillo and Diego Luna have already left for their international camps. El Paso Locomotive may turn towards its depth in the USL Academy to bolster the numbers.
Throughout preseason, the boys on Locomotive USL Academy contracts have been training alongside the first team, so they are no strangers to the way that Coach Hutchinson wants to play. They already have an understanding with the squad and are primed to seamlessly fit into the game day roster. Already this season we have seen Forward Noe Coutino and Goalkeeper Rommel Tarin make appearances on the bench, though neither has seen game minutes this season so far.
As El Paso Locomotive FC looks to build off lessons learned in the first two games of the season, it will be taking on a Las Vegas Lights FC side that is surging with confidence and unexpected momentum early in the regular season.
El Paso Locomotive FC hosts Las Vegas Lights FC at Southwest University Park on Wednesday, March 23. Gates will open at 6:00 p.m. MT with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. MT. The first 2,000 fans to the stadium will receive a limited edition Black Locomotive flag as the club looks to turn the stadium black for Black Out night in honor of the new primary kit. Tickets are available for purchase online at eplocomotivefc.com/tickets or by calling 915-235-GOAL.