EL PASO, Texas (February 26, 2024) – El Paso Locomotive FC announced today that defender Javier Nevarez will join on loan from Liga MX sister club FC Juárez ahead of the 2024 USL Championship season. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.
“We’re happy to welcome Javier, a talented player with promising potential, to our club on loan,” Head Coach and Technical director Brian Clarhaut said. “He can play multiple positions on the right-hand side, and he carries extremely high football IQ and decision-making skills with an excellent passing foot. We look forward to aid in his development and to continue the partnership between both clubs under the MountainStar Sports Group framework.”
Nevarez, a 23-year-old Ciudad Juárez native, debuted for FC Juárez in 2019 and has gone on to make 60 appearances for the Bravos first-team across all competitions, registering two assists across 3,863 minutes. Nevarez scored three goals in his 57 appearances for the Juarez U-20 side and played five matches for the U-23 squad.
Nevarez is the third Bravos player in recent days to be announced to join Locomotive on loan in 2024, following the announcements of goalkeeper Ramon Pasquel (27) and defender Gonzalo Pelua (20) last week. The trio of Bravos join Eder Borelli (as well as former Locos Leandro Carrijo and Aaron Gomez) to arrive at Locomotive from Juárez.
“As El Paso Locomotive and FC Juárez become more and more entrenched, our multi-club system is beginning to play out on a larger scale,” General Manager, Business and Technical Operations Andrew Forrest said. “Player movement between the teams, a friendly at Southwest University Park, and data sharing are just the beginning of how we can benefit from one another, and I am excited to see what is next.”
One sign of continued partnership growth between both clubs was last month’s announcement of the inaugural Derby Paso Del Norte. Kicking off at 7 p.m. MT on Wednesday, March 20 at Southwest University Park, this international exhibition will be the first time both teams play a match in front of both fanbases to help cultivate and grow the competitive rivalry between Locomotive and Juárez.
“This collaborative effort with El Paso Locomotive significantly contributes to FC Juárez’s continued growth in El Paso,” FC Juárez President Luis Rodriguez said when the friendly was announced. “This exciting friendly not only showcases the talent of both teams but also reinforces the enduring partnership between our clubs and cities as we look to continue to develop talent, on and off the field, in the region. El Paso is also a home market for FC Juárez and is a strategic pillar in our long-term growth plan.”
With all the exciting efforts being made because of the budding relationship between both Locomotive and Juárez, Nevarez has his eyes set on Locomotive’s 2024 Home Opener on Saturday, March 9 vs Hartford Athletic at Southwest University Park.
“I’m ready for the season to start as this will be a great challenge for me in my career,” Nevarez said in Spanish. “I want to provide our fans with joy to continue to grow the support for El Paso Locomotive FC.”
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 (9): Tony Alfaro, Brandan Craig, Noah Dollenmayer, Nick Hinds, Miles Lyons, Elijah Martin, Javier Nevarez, 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
El Paso Locomotive FC single match tickets for all 2024 regular season matches are on sale now and are available for purchase online at eplocomotivefc.com/tickets. El Paso’s 34-match USL Championship schedule can be found at eplocomotivefc.com/schedule.
For the best prices and priority seating to every Locomotive home match in 2024, become a Season Ticket Member today! Season Ticket Memberships for the 2024 Season are available now and can be secured online at eplocomotivefc.com/seasontickets, calling (915) 235-GOAL or texting (915) 666-2005.