Coach John Hutchinson and El Paso Locomotive have entered the building.
On January 20, Coach Hutchinson and players have come together at the Westside Sports Complex, kicking into gear what is sure to be an exciting 2022 USL Championship season.
A full week of training has come and gone, and the Boys in Blue have been working on their fitness, brushing the off-season rust away, while getting their game legs back underneath them. Simultaneously, the squad is learning new tactics to refresh their game and to play under Hutchinson’s game plan. The first week of training culminated with an intra-squad scrimmage against the club’s USL Academy U-19 team. Tuesday night’s scrimmage showcased not only what the first week of training has brought together but also gave the coaching staff a firsthand look at the youth in El Paso.
Throughout the first week of training, Coach Hutchinson has been pushing Locomotive, bringing out the best in the squad early on. Hutchinson has put an emphasis on pressing, winning possession, and holding onto the ball. Starting fast and strong has been by no accident. The first week of drills have put the players through the wringer, but it was all according to plan.
The Locos play through a lot of games early in the season with 11 matches through April and May. The players will no doubt be experiencing a level of fatigue towards the end of the spring months, so by design, Coach Hutchinson wanted to see how the team would react to tired legs.
“We wanted to put them under fatigue today and play. We wanted to see what they can do under match conditions after having some big days of training,” shared Hutchinson after Tuesday’s night intrasquad scrimmage with the Locomotive USL Academy team. “They’re tired, and they should be, but they’ve had all the right ambition and actions to do what we’ve tried to be working on. They’ve had moments where they had a reaction press, and they did well.”
Coach John Hutchinson and El Paso Locomotive have entered the building.
On January 20, Coach Hutchinson and players have come together at the Westside Sports Complex, kicking into gear what is sure to be an exciting 2022 USL Championship season.
A full week of training has come and gone, and the Boys in Blue have been working on their fitness, brushing the off-season rust away, while getting their game legs back underneath them. Simultaneously, the squad is learning new tactics to refresh their game and to play under Hutchinson’s game plan. The first week of training culminated with an intra-squad scrimmage against the club’s USL Academy U-19 team. Tuesday night’s scrimmage showcased not only what the first week of training has brought together but also gave the coaching staff a firsthand look at the youth in El Paso.
Throughout the first week of training, Coach Hutchinson has been pushing Locomotive, bringing out the best in the squad early on. Hutchinson has put an emphasis on pressing, winning possession, and holding onto the ball. Starting fast and strong has been by no accident. The first week of drills have put the players through the wringer, but it was all according to plan.
The Locos play through a lot of games early in the season with 11 matches through April and May. The players will no doubt be experiencing a level of fatigue towards the end of the spring months, so by design, Coach Hutchinson wanted to see how the team would react to tired legs.
“We wanted to put them under fatigue today and play. We wanted to see what they can do under match conditions after having some big days of training,” shared Hutchinson after Tuesday’s night intrasquad scrimmage with the Locomotive USL Academy team. “They’re tired, and they should be, but they’ve had all the right ambition and actions to do what we’ve tried to be working on. They’ve had moments where they had a reaction press, and they did well.”
The early push through training culminated in the first preseason scrimmage against the Locomotive USL Academy Team – a squad of Under 19 players that highlight the best in local youth soccer. The match was played in two thirty-minute halves where the match was less about the score but giving the coaching staffs of both the USL Academy team the First Team an opportunity to see the talent of the young players as well as how the first team handled certain conditions.
“It was great to watch some Academy kids,” commented Hutchinson. “We saw some young kids, the future of the club, and there are some really good footballers out there. It’s pleasing for us to see. We’ve had eight or nine of them with us through preseason so far which is obviously nice as well.”
The entire club certainly showed up for the scrimmage, eager to impress in the first real trial of the preseason. Despite being a preseason scrimmage, neither side showed any quit or reluctance to give it their all. With the First Team squad missing some new incoming players whether due to travel or international duty, it was filled out with USL Academy players as well, showcasing some of the brightest among the Locomotive ranks. Young players like the 15-Year-Old Diego Garcia, 16-Year-Old Alejandro Estrada, and 18-Year-Old Felix Casas fit in seamlessly with the First Team side, showcasing how complete the bridge is from Academy to Pro. It’s a bridge that Coach Hutchinson wants to utilize more often as he and the USL Academy Team coaching staff looks to bring greater integration between the two teams through training and scrimmages. Tuesday’s night scrimmage was only the beginning as now both teams have a foundation to start on and something to work with.
Since Tuesday night, Locomotive has not stopped, continuing with its intense training schedules. As of Friday, the first week of training has come to a close. It’s still early in the preseason and there is still much to work on as Coach Hutchinson and his men prepare for the new season, but with everything he has seen so far, the new Head Coach could not be more impressed.
The early push through training culminated in the first preseason scrimmage against the Locomotive USL Academy Team – a squad of Under 19 players that highlight the best in local youth soccer. The match was played in two thirty-minute halves where the match was less about the score but giving the coaching staffs of both the USL Academy team the First Team an opportunity to see the talent of the young players as well as how the first team handled certain conditions.
“It was great to watch some Academy kids,” commented Hutchinson. “We saw some young kids, the future of the club, and there are some really good footballers out there. It’s pleasing for us to see. We’ve had eight or nine of them with us through preseason so far which is obviously nice as well.”
The entire club certainly showed up for the scrimmage, eager to impress in the first real trial of the preseason. Despite being a preseason scrimmage, neither side showed any quit or reluctance to give it their all. With the First Team squad missing some new incoming players whether due to travel or international duty, it was filled out with USL Academy players as well, showcasing some of the brightest among the Locomotive ranks. Young players like the 15-Year-Old Diego Garcia, 16-Year-Old Alejandro Estrada, and 18-Year-Old Felix Casas fit in seamlessly with the First Team side, showcasing how complete the bridge is from Academy to Pro. It’s a bridge that Coach Hutchinson wants to utilize more often as he and the USL Academy Team coaching staff looks to bring greater integration between the two teams through training and scrimmages. Tuesday’s night scrimmage was only the beginning as now both teams have a foundation to start on and something to work with.
Since Tuesday night, Locomotive has not stopped, continuing with its intense training schedules. As of Friday, the first week of training has come to a close. It’s still early in the preseason and there is still much to work on as Coach Hutchinson and his men prepare for the new season, but with everything he has seen so far, the new Head Coach could not be more impressed.
“There are many players that have stood out to me, especially at training,” concluded Hutchinson. “Overall, what has really impressed me is the attitude of everyone. They have all bought into what we are trying to work on, whether they are on the First Team or the USL Academy kids. That’s what has been impressive. They have a desire to listen, learn, and play Locomotive football, which is what we want to produce. I’ve been happy with all of them.”
The hard work is set to continue through the coming weeks as Locomotive is set to face the Arizona Barcelona Residency Academy on Saturday for its second preseason match before taking on the UDA @ NMSU Academy days later on Wednesday.
El Paso Locomotive hosts its 2022 Hope Opener against New Mexico United on Saturday, March 19 at 6:00 p.m. MT. Tickets are available for purchase online at https://www.eplocomotivefc.com/tickets or by calling or texting 915-235-GOAL. Locomotive kicks off its 2022 USL Championship season a week earlier, on March 12, on the road against Sacramento Republic. Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. MT and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
“There are many players that have stood out to me, especially at training,” concluded Hutchinson. “Overall, what has really impressed me is the attitude of everyone. They have all bought into what we are trying to work on, whether they are on the First Team or the USL Academy kids. That’s what has been impressive. They have a desire to listen, learn, and play Locomotive football, which is what we want to produce. I’ve been happy with all of them.”
The hard work is set to continue through the coming weeks as Locomotive is set to face the Arizona Barcelona Residency Academy on Saturday for its second preseason match before taking on the UDA @ NMSU Academy days later on Wednesday.
El Paso Locomotive hosts its 2022 Hope Opener against New Mexico United on Saturday, March 19 at 6:00 p.m. MT. Tickets are available for purchase online at https://www.eplocomotivefc.com/tickets or by calling or texting 915-235-GOAL. Locomotive kicks off its 2022 USL Championship season a week earlier, on March 12, on the road against Sacramento Republic. Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. MT and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.