EL PASO, Texas (February 23, 2024) – El Paso Locomotive FC announced today that defender Gonzalo Pelua on loan from Liga MX sister club FC Juárez ahead of the 2024 USL Championship season. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.
“Gonzalo is another FC Juárez prospect whose development we are fortunate enough to aid in as part of our partnership under MountainStar Sports Group,” Head Coach and Technical Director Brian Clarhaut said. “He is a tactical player who can play multiple positions in the backline and midfield, and we’re excited to welcome him to El Paso for 2024.”
Pelua, 20, was brought in as a Bravos player from second-division Uruguayan side Club Atlético Atenas de San Carlos ahead of the 2023 Leagues Cup. The Uruguayan defender would make his senior team debut alongside Pasquel in the same 4-2 win against Toluca before going on to make nine appearances for the Juarez U23 squad, helping them reach the 2023 Apertura Quarterfinals. At the end of his first season with FC Juárez, Pelua recorded four starts in six appearances with the senior team.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for me to come to this beautiful country and continue my career,” Pelua said in Spanish. “My expectations are the same as always: to help the club fight for a top spot in the table, play the most minutes I can and help the team win a championship.”
Future roster transactions will be announced as Locomotive prepares for its sixth season in the USL Championship.
El Paso Locomotive FC’s 2024 roster as it currently stands is listed below, alphabetically by position.
Goalkeepers (3): Javier Garcia, Ramon Pasquel, Jahmali Waite
Defenders (8): Tony Alfaro, Brandan Craig, Noah Dollenmayer, Nick Hinds, Miles Lyons, Elijah Martin, Gonzalo Pelua, Lucas Stauffer
Midfielders (7): Diego Abarca, Bolu Akinyode, Arun Basuljevic, Eric Calvillo, Luis Moreno, Petar Petrovic, Liam Rose
Forwards (5): Justin Dhillon, Amando Moreno, Tumi Moshobane, Joaquin Rivas, Ricardo Zacarias