ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – April 1, 2026 – El Paso Locomotive FC delivered a dominant performance on the road, defeating New Mexico United 4-0 in the first edition of the 2026 Derby del Camino Real at UNM Soccer Stadium, while advancing to the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Locomotive broke through in the 37th minute when Álvaro Quezada finished from the center of the box, lifting a right-footed strike into the top corner off an assist from Omar Mora to give Los Locos a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
The second half swung firmly in Locomotive’s favor following a pivotal moment in the 59th minute, when New Mexico United was reduced to 10 men after Ousman Jabang received his second yellow card. Los Locos capitalized shortly after, doubling their lead in the 63rd minute as Alex Méndez sent a free kick into the top left corner for a 2-0 advantage.
Rubio Rubín added a third goal in the 69th minute, and Eric Calvillo capped the night in the 86th minute, his first of the season, to seal the 4-0 result.
With the victory, Locomotive takes an early advantage in the 2026 Derby del Camino Real series, but also moves on in the tournament, advancing to the Third Round of the U.S. Open Cup.
Locomotive returns to action on Saturday, April 4, to face Las Vegas Lights FC. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
GAME NOTES
- Los Locos improve to 3-3-3 all-time in Albuquerque against New Mexico United. It also marks the second consecutive season El Paso Locomotive FC has eliminated New Mexico United from the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and just the second time in club history the team has advanced to the Third Round in back-to-back seasons.
- El Paso Locomotive FC made derby history, marking the first time in the Derby del Camino Real that the club has scored more than three goals against New Mexico United, while also securing its sixth all-time win in the series. Before tonight, neither side had ever scored more than three goals in a single derby match. With the victory, the all-time series now stands at 6-7-8. The rivalry continues May 6 in Albuquerque before shifting to Southwest University Park on July 11 as part of the USL Cup and will conclude on October 24, 2026.
- Rubio Rubín continues his red-hot form, scoring his fifth goal in as many matches and his second in this year’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. With the brace in U.S. Open Cup play, Rubín becomes just the second player in club history to record multiple goals in a single Open Cup campaign while wearing the Locomotive crest (Tony Álfaro and Bryan Romero each scored 2 goals in 2025).
- El Paso Locomotive FC is navigating its second stretch in club history of four consecutive road matches, previously doing so from April 13–26, 2025, when the club went 0-1-3. This time around, Los Locos opened their 2026 road swing with a perfect 4-0 record. El Paso returns home on Saturday, April 4, to face Las Vegas Lights FC.
SCORING SUMMARY
- ELP – Álvaro Quezada 37’ (Omar Mora), Alex Méndez 63’, Rubio Rubín 69’, Eric Calvillo 86’
LINEUPS
ELP – (4-1-4-1) Abraham Romero, Ricky Ruiz, Tony Alfaro, Noah Dollenmayer (Kofi Twumasi 29’), Palermo Ortiz (Kenny Hoban 45’), Daniel Gómez, Robert Coronado (Eric Calvillo 70’), Omar Mora, Rubio Rubín (Diego Abitia 70’), Alex Méndez (Gabi Torres 74’), Álvaro Quezada
Subs Not Used: Sebastian Mora-Mora, Beto Avila
NM – (4-4-2) Raiko Arozarena, Niko Hamalainen, Will Seymore (Cristian Nava 70’), Chris Gloster, Ousman Jabang, Greg Hurst (Marlon Vargas 63’), Valentin Noël, Jake LaCava, Justin Rennicks (Luther Archiméde 63’), Dayonn Harris (Niall Reid-Stephen 45’), Grady Gilchrist (Maliek Howell 45’)
Subs Not Used: Arturo Astorga, Kristopher Shakes
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
- ELP – Tony Alfaro (Yellow) 45’, Eric Calvillo (Yellow) 75’
- NM – Ousman Jabang (Yellow) 22’, Ousman Jabang (2nd Yellow/Red) 59’, Luther Archiméde (Yellow) 65’, Maliek Howell (Yellow) 79’
MATCH STATS: NM | ELP
GOALS: 0|4
ASSISTS: 0|1
POSSESSION: 43| 57
SHOTS: 7|12
SHOTS ON GOAL: 1|5
SAVES: 1|1
FOULS: 10|9
OFFSIDES: 3|3
CORNERS: 2|5