El Paso Locomotive FC 0-1 Oakland Roots SC
Southwest University Park; El Paso, Texas
Saturday, April 13, 2024
El Paso Locomotive FC Head Coach and Technical Director Brian Clarhaut
On the loss:
“To do that (losing consecutive games in which El Paso lose the lead minutes after going up 2-1) two weeks in row, I have to look at myself in the mirror and look at changing some things.”
On the lack of goals despite the high chance creation:
“In the first half, we were able to push them down, especially down that left hand side. You saw [Tony Alfaro] a few times enter and to be honest, the way we got the penalty kick was textbook on what we work on. They had a flat five, [Justin Dhillon] was moving and our forwards were busy. It was a bit hard to break down, so that’s how I look at that. We were entering, they were low and it was hard to break down. I would’ve liked to get more outside shots. You can’t just force the ball through and put a needle in a haystack every time. We need to mix it up a bit and get some wide entries.”
On the importance of picking up a win against Union Omaha on Wednesday in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup:
“I think this group needs a win and we’ve been saying that for a long time. We were close against New Mexico, close today but we need to get on the other side of the needle for us with confidence.”
Forward Justin Dhillon
On scoring his first goal in the loss to Oakland:
“Definitely grateful to score my first goal, especially in front of the home fans. I’ve been working on that for a couple of games, but it’s a sour taste in the mouth when you got two games in a row where you’re up 2-1 and can’t hold on to it. So, I think it’s something for everyone in the team to look back at and self-reflect, dig deep into what we’re trying to do.”
On Locomotive’s team and style of play:
“I do believe we’re a good team. I do believe we have good players, good pieces, good coaches. At the end of the day, it’s a business of results so we can do all these right things but it’s about wins and losses.”
On his role on the team:
“When I came here, the team knew what they wanted out of a forward and I knew what I brought to the table. I think that our team, and me personally… the best is still to come.”
Defender Yuma
On making his first regular season appearance in 2024, which was his 100th USL Championship appearance for Locomotive:
“It came at a difficult moment of the game when we were 3-2 down, but I entered with a lot of energy and desire to play and compete. I train to do that every day.
On the team’s current form and frustrations:
“Frustration in results should unite a team to become stronger, much more competitive, as a family. If you lose, we all lose. If you win, we all win. The problem isn’t winning, the problem is we need more energy. We need to put much more effort and intensity into the match. We complete a comeback then lose that lead again in minutes, same as it happened in New Mexico. That cannot happen. We need to be smarter and try different things. Multiple games are happening in a single game, and we need to be smarter.”
On the Open Cup match at Union Omaha on Wednesday:
“It’s going to be against a difficult opponent with great players. They are [USL League One] but they are a really good team. The players who want to play, compete and win need to show up. One victory can spark more down the line, like a difficult Tampa Bay side coming up. The locker room needs to come into Wednesday’s game looking to win it, not just to make club history, but for us as well because on Saturday, we’ve got a tough test against Tampa Bay.”