EL PASO, Texas (April 16, 2024) – El Paso Locomotive FC signed 11 Locomotive Academy players to USL Academy contracts at a press conference Tuesday afternoon, pending league and federation approval.
It’s the fourth consecutive year that Locomotive has signed players to USL Academy contracts, which will provide the young Locos with opportunities to train and compete alongside the professional senior team without affecting their eligibility to play college soccer.
Additionally, it is El Paso’s largest group of players to sign USL Academy contracts in a single season, a strong demonstration of the growing young talent being developed through the Locomotive Academy.
“[El Paso] is a talent-rich soccer community that has been proven at the biggest levels,” Locomotive General Manager, Business and Technical Operations Andrew Forrest said. “There are a lot of eyes internationally and domestically that are looking at this region as a source of talent that can be cultivated and used at the highest level. We certainly realized that and that’s what’s been the catalyst for the last three intensive years of this Academy really taking a step forward to becoming a national player.”
The players signed, listed in alphabetical order, are as follows:
- Ivan Escobedo (D), 17
- Alex Estrada (M), 19
- Ruben Esparza (F), 17
- Kenneth Hoban (D), 14
- Finnley O’Brien (D), 17
- Damion Perez (M), 16
- Emiliano Rodriguez (M), 20^
- Axel Valdivia (F), 18
- Santiago Vargas (G), 15*
- Raul Vazquez (D), 18
- Joseluis Villagomez (D), 17
Though he was not in attendance for the press conference, 20-year-old midfielder Emiliano Rodriguez’ absence demonstrated the unique opportunities that only the Locomotive Academy can offer young players in the Borderplex region
Rodriguez was selected by Head Coach and Technical Director Brian Clarhaut to travel with the Locomotive first team to Omaha, Nebraska for its third-round matchup in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the oldest cup competition in the United States that dates to 1912. Rodriguez will join the Locos as they look for their historic first win in the tournament and look to get one back on USL League One side Union Omaha (who eliminated El Paso 2-0 last year), with the match being broadcast Wednesday, April 17 at 6 p.m. MT on ussoccer.com and uslsoccer.com.
“These are the types of things we celebrate the most,” Academy Director Ivan Militar said. “It’s one of the things our Academy sets out to achieve. We want to create first team players for our professional team”
In addition to creating and developing players for the Locomotive first team, the Academy also strives to provide players with the best chances to showcase themselves in front of hundreds of colleges throughout the year to help players advance in their athletic and academic career. Whether it’s playing in nationally recognized leagues like the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) and USL Academy League to picking up silverware at some of the biggest youth tournaments and showcases (i.e. Dallas Cup, Phoenix Cup), Locomotive Academy has made huge strides since its establishment in 2020 and looks to continue building on its success.
“It’s very important to show that [El Paso] is a hotbed for talent,” Militar said. “The fact that there are so many [players] here today shows that we have a lot of talent in this area and shows that we can rely on our homegrown players. We are motivated to develop them more and see where it leads them.”
About USL Academy Contracts
Per USL Academy: USL Academy contracts allow Academy products at USL clubs to sign, train and compete in matches with professional senior teams without affecting their eligibility to play college soccer. These contracts help young players accelerate their development by challenging them and allowing them to gain experience playing with and against professionals at a young age.
About the Locomotive Academy
Founded in 2020, the Locomotive Academy was created to provide unrivaled competitive opportunities for youth players in the Borderplex region. The Academy fields seven teams between 13-19, including a fully funded U-20 USL Academy program, and competes in three youth leagues: the Elite Club National League (ECNL), USL Academy League and the El Paso Premier League (EPPL). Through its league competitions and participation at various tournaments and showcases throughout the year, the Academy strives to provide players with direct exposure to numerous college and scouts while playing against some of the strongest youth teams in the country.
In addition to working with numerous colleges across the country, the Academy also grants players a pathway to train and play alongside the Locomotive senior team, giving the young athletes an opportunity to learn and develop alongside professional athletes and coaches through USL Academy contracts, the only youth soccer organization in El Paso to offer such opportunities. To learn more about the Locomotive Academy, head to eplocomotivefc.com/youth-soccer.
*Santiago Vargas signed his contract last month but was honored for today’s ceremony.
^ Not in attendance, traveled with the Locomotive First Team to play against Union Omaha in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup