EL PASO, Texas (January 7, 2025) – El Paso Locomotive FC announced today that it has signed midfielder Frank Daroma ahead of the 2025 USL Championship season, the club’s first signing of the new year. The signing is pending league and federation approval, and the terms of the deal will not be disclosed per club policy.
“I’m super excited to get this season underway,” Daroma said. “We are all hungry to get this team to the top and give the fans the joy they deserve. I’m going to do the best I can to help the team be successful and I look forward to having a special season with our fans.”
The 23-year-old Sierra Leone native recently played for MLS Next Pro side Tacoma Defiance, making 39 appearances and contesting over 3,100 minutes, finding the back of the net on one occasion. Daroma was consistently one of Tacoma’s top distributors, completing an average 92% of his passes (2,101 of 2,291 passes completed) and in 2023, led the team in interceptions (38).
Daroma arrives in El Paso with prior USL Championship experience, starting his professional career with Las Vegas Lights FC where he played between 2021-22. During his tenure with the Lights, Daroma was consistently an anchor in defensive midfield and had the most appearances of any player during his time in Las Vegas, starting 57 times in 65 matches across all competitions. He led the Lights in several stats including successful passes (89.8% accuracy, 2,591 completed of 2,886), duels won (322 of 569) and recoveries (394) as well as recording three assists.
“Frank is a quality player who’s impressed us throughout his time in the USL Championship and MLS Next Pro,” Locomotive Technical Director Ray Saari said. “His qualities in possession, tactical acumen and ability to break up play make him a player who can contribute to our team right away in 2025.”
A product of the nationally acclaimed Barcelona Residency Academy, Daroma played collegiate soccer with Cal State San Bernardino in 2019. A starter in 18 of his 19 matches for CSUSB with four (4) goals and five (5) assists, Daroma was named the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Freshman of the Year and earned spots on the All-CCAA First Team and CCAA All-Tournament Team as well as All-American and All-Region First Team recognitions by United Soccer Coaches (USC).
El Paso’s updated roster can be found below listed alphabetically by position.
Goalkeeper (1): Jahmali Waite
Defender (8): Wahab Ackwei, Tony Alfaro, Memo Diaz, Noah Dollenmayer, Kenneth Hoban, Arturo Ortiz, Alvaro Quezada, Ricky Ruiz
Midfielder (5): Bolu Akinyode, Eric Calvillo, Robert Coronado, Frank Daroma, Emiliano Rodriguez
Forward (4): Andy Cabrera, Amando Moreno, Omar Mora, Tumi Moshobane