PHOENIX, Arizona (August 30, 2025) – In the first two meetings between El Paso and Phoenix this season, the club from Arizona found late equalizers to prevent Los Locos from securing three points. Tonight, Locomotive flipped the script.
In a wild come-from-behind affair, El Paso Locomotive FC fought back from three goals down to secure a 3-3 draw on Saturday night at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium.
After a red card brought Phoenix down to ten men, Locomotive took advantage and found the back of the net three times in the final 25 minutes. Ricky Ruiz found himself with the tying goal in the 98th minute to keep Locomotive in the third place in the Western Conference.
The hosts came out of the gate firing scoring just seven minutes into the first half. Locomotive dominated chances and possession but could not cut into the early deficit.
Things looked even more bleak for Los Locos when Phoenix scored two goals within the first eight minutes after the break. A red card in the 63rd minute, however, would turn the match on its head.
Amando Moreno got the scoring started for Locomotive in the 73rd minute with a sensational volley off a cross from Ruiz. Gabi Torres turned in another goal just eight minutes later to put the hosts on red alert. After several threats in stoppage time, Ruiz then found himself in the right place at the right time to save a point for Locomotive.
GAME NOTES
- Amando Moreno scored his seventh goal in league play this season.
- Gabi Torres continued to torment his former club as he scored his third goal against Phoenix this season across all competitions.
- Ricky Ruiz recorded his first goal and assist in league play this season.
FORECAST: 87ºF, partly cloudy
SCORING SUMMARY
- ELP – Amando Moreno 73’ (Ricky Ruiz), Gabi Torres 81’ (Kofi Twumasi), Ruiz 90’+8’
- PHX – Ihsan Sacko 7’ (Daniel Flores), 47’ (Kelvin Arase), Darius Johnson 53’ (Arase)
LINEUPS
ELP – (4-3-3) Jahmali Waite, Ricky Ruiz, Kofi Twumasi, Palermo Ortiz-C, Memo Diaz, Gabi Torres, Frank Daroma (Emiliano Rodriguez 60’), Eric Calvillo, Amando Moreno, Beto Avila (Noah Dollenmayer 79’), Christian Sorto (Robert Coronado 60’)
Subs Not Used: Sebastian Mora-Mora, Wahab Ackwei, Tony Alfaro, Bryan Romero
PHX – (4-2-3-1) Patrick Rakovsky, Daniel Flores (Rafael Czichos 76’), Carl Sainté, Ascel Essengue, Pierce Rizzo, John Scearce, Noble Okello, Darius Johnson (Ryan Flood 76’), Hope Avayevu (Pape Boye 65’), Ihsan Sacko (Xian Emmers 76’), Kelvin Arase (Charlie Dennis 57’)
Subs Not Used: Triston Henry, Dariusz Formella, Tristan Shaw, Remi Cabral
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
- ELP – Palermo Ortiz (Yellow) 9’, Frank Daroma (Yellow) 55’, Amando Moreno (Yellow) 81’
- PHX – Ascel Essengue (Yellow) 25’, John Scearce (Yellow) 58’), Essengue (Red) 62’, Patrick Rakovsky (Yellow) 72’, Noble Okello (Yellow) 82’, Carl Sainté (Yellow) 90’+9’
MATCH STATS: ELP | PHX
GOALS: 3|3
ASSISTS: 2|3
POSSESSION: 38|62
SHOTS: 21|4
SHOTS ON GOAL: 5|3
SAVES: 0|2
FOULS: 11|23
OFFSIDES: 2|1
CORNERS: 13|1
UP NEXT: El Paso Locomotive FC return home to face Loudoun United FC on Saturday, September 6 at 7 p.m. MT. at Southwest University Park. The match will be streamed on ESPN+, KVIA.com and the KVIA News app.