EL PASO, Texas – El Paso Locomotive FC will host North Carolina FC this weekend for the final day game of the 2024 season, looking to grab three points in its first ever meeting against the Eastern Conference side.
HOW TO WATCH EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC VS NORTH CAROLINA FC – SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2024 @ 1 P.M. MT – SOUTHWEST UNIVERSITY PARK
Watch: ESPN+, KVIA.com and the KVIA News app
Tickets: eplocomotivefc.com/tickets
Be sure to follow @eplocomotivefc on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for live updates of the match. Additionally, fans are encouraged to download the team’s official mobile app on the Apple App Store or Google Play for instant access to mobile tickets, team content and match notifications.
ALL-TIME SERIES
El Paso and North Carolina will clash for the first time this Saturday, with both sides keen on getting a win. A win for El Paso would see the gap close between them and those above the playoff line whereas a win for NCFC could potentially see them jump into a playoff position.
EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC
The Locos have only lost once in their last five matches and are unbeaten in their last three matches at home, so it is evident that there has been improvement on the field in recent performances. One of the key defensive factors in the last match against Colorado Springs was Arturo Ortiz, the Mexican international and Liga MX veteran whose presence and experience was felt, registering a game-high four blocks and six recoveries.
Alongside the rest of the backline, he will be someone the Locos will look to to step up and keep things steady in the back to give the offense ability to be creative up top to create scoring opportunities.
“I am trying to do my part as best I can as well as every other guy within the team,” Ortiz said in a post-training interview. “It’s important that we all work together alongside each other to improve defensively and offensively, we need to score more goals. The team is playing well and I think there’s much more organization and intensity within the squad than before, so if we continue this trend, we will continue to get better as a team.”
NORTH CAROLINA FC
With 11 goals in their last four matches, there is no wonder why North Carolina are amongst the highest-scoring teams in the USL Championship this season. The power of their counter-attack was on full display last week against Indy Eleven, recording a 2-0 win to make the Eastern Conference playoff battle much tighter heading into Week 30.
With an attacking trio of Evan Conway, Rodrigo Da Costa and Oalex Anderson up top, the Locomotive defense will have to make sure it stays organized and disciplined to minimize North Carolina’s attacking chances.