Club News

El Paso Locomotive Individual Game Tickets To Go On Sale For Remainder of 2021 Season

El Paso Locomotive FC announced today individual game day tickets for the remainder of its 2021 USL Championship season will go on sale to the general public on Friday, May 21 beginning at 10 a.m. MT. Tickets will be available to purchase online at https://www.eplocomotivefc.com/tickets, by phone at 915-235-GOAL, or in person at the Durango Box Office at Southwest University Park.

Locomotive Season Ticket Members will be given the first opportunity to select their tickets and purchase additional tickets on Thursday, May 20, starting at 10:00 a.m. MT. Individuals who signed up for the Locomotive Ticket Waiting List and group leaders will have the opportunity to purchase individual game tickets starting Thursday, May 20 at 5:00 p.m. MT. The remainder of the tickets for the 2021 USL Championship season will open to the general public at 10:00 a.m. MT on Friday, May 21.

The 2021 Locomotive season features thrilling matchups including an Eastern Conference vs Western Conference game when 2019 Eastern Conference finalist Indy Eleven visits Southwest University Park for the first time in franchise history on June 9. Sacramento Republic SC also makes its first return to El Paso on September 11 for a rematch of the 2019 Western Conference Semifinal that saw Locomotive emphatically claim a 3-0 victory.

The USL Championship Copa Tejas also makes its return as Los Locos are set to host San Antonio FC, Austin Bold FC, and Rio Grande Valley FC twice each in the season. The first Copa Tejas matchup takes place this Saturday, when El Paso Locomotive hosts Rio Grande Valley FC at Southwest University Park where the El Paso team is currently undefeated since July 24 after 10 games (8W-0L-2D), including playoffs. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. MT with tickets available now online, by phone, and at the Durango Box Office.

The Durango Box Office is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., and is closed on Saturday and Sunday except for game days. Patrons may purchase individual game tickets online at anytime at https://www.eplocomotivefc.com/tickets. Season Ticket Memberships are also still available to lock in your seat for the entire 2021 USL Championship season at https://www.eplocomotivefc.com/seasontickets.

El Paso Locomotive Signs Forward Ricardo Zacarias

EL PASO, Texas – May 19, 2021 – El Paso Locomotive FC announced today it has signed Borderland native, Forward Ricardo Zacarías, pending league and federation approval.

“Ricardo is fully deserving of his place on this team,” said Mark Lowry, Locomotive Head Coach and Technical Director. “He has worked incredibly hard over preseason and has shown an incredible team-first attitude. We are delighted to make this official.”

Zacarías, 25, spent the 2020 season in USL League One with Chattanooga Red Wolves, where he recorded two goals across 14 appearances in the condensed season. Prior to his time in League One, Zacarías spent five years in Mexico, earning a spot following an open tryout with Liga MX powerhouse Club América. In the five years in Mexico, the 25-year-old forward played in the Liga Premier, featuring for teams such as Club América Premier, Irapuato, Coras De Nayarit, and most recently, La Piedad. During the 2021 preseason, Zacarías has been training alongside Los Locos and making appearances as a trialist in preseason games.

Zacarías will be ready to join El Paso Locomotive when it takes on Texas rival, Rio Grande Valley FC, this Saturday in a revival of the Copa Tejas supporter tournament at Southwest University Park. Get your tickets at https://www.eplocomotivefc.com/tickets or by calling 915-235-GOAL.

Transaction: Locomotive signs Forward Ricardo Zacarías

Name: Ricardo Zacarías
Position: Forward
Number: 17
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 180 lbs.
Hometown: Las Cruces, New Mexico
Birthdate: August 31, 1995 (25)

Southwest University Park Updates Mask Policy

EL PASO – May 19, 2021 – Southwest University Park announced today that effective immediately facial coverings will no longer be required at all events for ticketed guests who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Facial coverings are still recommended for guests who are not vaccinated.

Southwest University Park will continue to implement health and safety protocols for all games and matches including hand sanitizer stations and thorough cleaning and sanitization of the facility before, during, and after events.

El Paso Locomotive FC takes on Rio Grande Valley on May 22 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available now at https://www.eplocomotivefc.com.

The Chihuahuas face Oklahoma City, the Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate, in a six-game series beginning May 27. Single-game tickets are on sale now at epchihuahuas.com.

As a reminder, Southwest University Park is a cashless venue and a clear bag/no bag facility.

Dominic Casciato Aims to Add Attacking Threat to Locomotive

On El Paso Locomotive’s bench on Saturday, there were a lot of new faces. Midfielders Diego Luna and Jose Aguinaga as well as Forward Aidan Apodaca each started on the sidelines for Locomotive, while Forward Luis Solignac made his appearance in the Starting XI. Joining the new Locomotive players, however, is also a new face on the technical staff: Assistant Coach Dominic Casciato.

In the transition from the 2020 season to the 2021 season, Head Coach and Technical Director Mark Lowry has emphasized the need to be clinical in front of the goal. Over the first two years, Locomotive has improved its ability to create chances and take shots, but the conversion rate has been less than ideal for the Sun City team. Enter, Casciato.

As a new Assistant Coach, Casciato’s focus will be on the Attacking Principles for El Paso Locomotive FC. His main job as part of the Technical Staff is to build on the already well-established Locomotive attacking front, conducting drills on the training pitch to help Locomotive have bite in the final third.

“Coming here I want to add some value and hopefully help find the net a little bit more,” said Casciato, after training on Tuesday. “The work that Mark Lowry, [Assistant Coach] Matt Williams, and [Goalkeeper Coach] JC Garzon are doing already has been fantastic. There is a reason why the team has made it to two Western Conference Finals in a row. Now, if we could get a little bit sharper in the final third, we could go all the way.”

Joining Locomotive early in the offseason, Casciato has had time to learn the strengths and the weaknesses of Locomotive while working with Mark Lowry and Assistant Coach Matt Williams to learn the style of play and culture of El Paso. His insights have so far proven valuable in the preseason, helping lead to Locomotive running away with a 5-0 win over FC Tucson, while claiming telling victories over New Mexico United and Colorado Springs Switchbacks, 2-1 and 3-1, respectively.

His work in how to make this happen has been to focus training drills on recreating game-like situations as much as possible, as many times as possible.

“We’re making sure the forwards are getting plenty of repetitions similar to the situations there are going to be put in into the game,” explained the London, England native. “Getting quick shots off, reacting quickly to rebounds, and getting onto the end of crosses.”

The first test came last Saturday, showing the work rate behind a Leandro Carrijo goal that equalized the scoring late. While Locomotive chances weren’t plenty, of the 10 shots the team did take, four were on frame and forced United goalkeeper Alex Tambakis into big-time saves to protect the scoring.

“Firstly, the stadium itself is a beautiful stadium. Sometimes you can go into these new stadiums and it can feel a little bit soulless,” said Casciato following Saturday’s 1-1 Home Opener against New Mexico United. “But ours feels like there is some history and tradition there. The fans were great, you can hear them from the bench. They were really loud the whole game and obviously, we gave them a nice ending to the game.”

It’s only the beginning of the season for Locomotive, and there is still plenty of work to do for Dominic Casciato, along with the rest of the technical staff, but the former New York Cosmos assistant coach is excited to be a part of the Borderland.

“I love El Paso,” started Casciato. “the city itself is a unique place to live, being so close to Mexico. My wife is Hispanic, so I love Hispanic culture and language. I’m also a big fan of the tacos as well, so really enjoying that side of it. In terms of the club, you really couldn’t ask for anything more. We have a fantastic staff here and a real good mix in the locker room between experienced guys and younger guys. We’ve got all the ingredients to do really well this season.”

El Paso Locomotive Completes Loan of Goalkeeper Logan Ketterer to MLS Side Portland Timbers FC

EL PASO, Texas – May 13, 2021 – El Paso Locomotive FC has loaned Goalkeeper Logan Ketterer on a short-term deal to Major League Soccer side, Portland Timbers FC, effective immediately pending league and fenderation approval, the club announced today.

“This is a great opportunity for Logan,” stated Head Coach and Technical Director Mark Lowry. “It’s something we felt we had to provide for him, particularly as we don’t play this weekend. It’s a short-term situation, one that can help Logan grow as a keeper so he can get back with us and continue to anchor one of the best back lines in the USL.”

Ketterer, 27, has experience with Major League Soccer, being selected 71st overall in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft by Columbus SC. Training alongside Goalkeeper Zack Stefan, Ketterer made one appearance for Columbus SC in the 2018 U.S. Open Cup, taking the side to penalties after a 2-2 draw with Chicago Fire.

Ketterer came to El Paso ahead of the inaugural 2019 season, where he has been a mainstay in goal for Coach Lowry’s side. Making 55 club appearances across all competitions, Ketterer is the lone player to have accumulated 5,000 minutes for Locomotive, leading the team to two back-to-back USL Championship conference finals.

Loco Express | ELP v NM

The Loco Express
El Paso Locomotive FC (1) vs New Mexico United (1)
Saturday, May 8; Southwest University Park, El Paso, Texas

Locomotive pulled out a thrilling equalizing goal in second-half stoppage time to salvage a point at Southwest University Park, courtesy of late-game substitutions made by Head Coach Mark Lowry. Leandro Carrijo (78’ sub) took one touch to slot home a goal that was provided to him thanks to some incredible passing from Diego Luna (Also a 78’ sub) and Aaron Gomez. Luna’s appearance also marked his professional debut while joining the likes of Aidan Apodaca and Luis Solignac as the latest members to put on the Locomotive jersey in a regular-season game.

In a match that saw Locomotive play well through the whole match, singling out just one ‘Estrella of the Match’ was a difficult choice. Ultimately, the nod goes to the goal-scorer himself, Leandro Carrijo, however, it would be more than fair to point out the impact Aaron Gomez and Diego Luna had on the game. While Carrijo slotted home the game-tying goal that salvaged a point at Southwest University Park, Gomez put in work through the full 90 minutes, testing United ‘keeper Alex Tambakis’ ability to make big-time saves. Gomez also was the one with the headed effort that passed the ball into the path of Carrijo for the goal.

You would be remiss to not give a nod towards Luna and the impact he made as a late game substitution for Coach Lowry. Within minutes, Luna took a shot towards goal that seemed destined for the bottom corner. While he didn’t find the goal then, it was his creative dribbling to outplay two United defenders and the cross to the far post to Gomez that opened up Carrijo for his goal.

50.3%. Typically, Locomotive dominates the field in possession, with quick passing and a build-from-the-back play style. The telltale stat of Locomotive’s 50.3% possession through out the home opener, reveals how close and tight of a game it was between the two Southwest rivals on Saturday night. Both teams struggled to keep possession of the ball, which led to proper chances on goal being few and far in between. Despite the lack of usual possession though, Locomotive made the most of it with 10 shots on goal throughout the night, four of which were on target compared to United’s two.

With results elsewhere in the Mountain Division, Locomotive retains its spot in 4th, just above the playoff line. It’s only the first game of a 32-game season, however, so there is still plenty of opportunities to move up, especially as the Locomotive squad gets into the rhythm of the regular season. The last-second draw by Locomotive also means the El Paso team remains undefeated at home since July 24.

Locomotive gets a weekend break after its first game, playing next at home at Southwest University Park against its Copa Tejas rival, Rio Grande Valley FC. The match is set for Saturday, May 22, with a kickoff time of 7:30 p.m. MT. Tickets are available at https://www.eplocomotivefc.com/tickets or by calling 915-235-GOAL.

Locomotive Steals Point at the Death in Home Opener

El Paso Locomotive FC hosted New Mexico United at Southwest University Park on Saturday night, stealing a point at the death of the match through a second-half stoppage goal by Forward Leandro Carrijo. Forwards Luis ‘Lucho’ Solignac and Aidan Apodaca as well as Midfielder Diego Luna made their debuts for Locomotive.

“We haven’t played a game in the first weeks,” stated Head Coach Mark Lowry. “New Mexico has been playing with a Phoenix friendly and an RGV regular-season game. We’ve been sitting at home waiting around, so I thought the guys did a great job. The resilience and the toughness of the group was fantastic. They only had one chance to score, and they scored it. We had three or four chances, better opportunities in the final third, that on another day we probably score, and they go in and the game looks different.”

What started off as a tense back and forth for both sides in the first half, quickly turned into the usual heated rivalry by the second half. Both sides opened the match testing each other’s defense as Forward Aaron Gomez rifled a shot down the middle to force United goalkeeper Alex Tambakis into a big save. Meanwhile, Amando Moreno tried to sneak past Goalkeeper Logan Ketterer but came up short as Ketterer protected the net.

The stalemate came to a quick end through New Mexico United’s Devon Sandoval who cleaned an open goal in the 57th minute. Locomotive kicked their game into high gear, making strong work of their chances with attempts that would sail just wide. Coach Lowry breathed new life into the match with late-game substitutions that ultimately led to the youngest Locomotive debut, Luna, to cross the ball to Gomez, who headed it back into the path of Carrijo in the final minute for the equalizing goal.

UP NEXT: El Paso Locomotive takes a bye week for its second week in USL Championship, returning to action on Saturday, May 22 at Southwest University Park against Rio Grande Valley FC. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. MT with tickets available online at https://www.eplocomotivefc.com/tickets or by calling 915-235-GOAL.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN

NM: Devon Sandoval (Harry Swartz), 57th minute: Off a quick counter, Harry Swartz brought the ball in down the left-wing, where Logan Ketterer rushed out to meet him just on the other side of the six-yard-line. Swartz used the opportunity to send the pass into the path of Sandoval, who cleaned up the open goal to put United in a second-half lead.

ELP: Leandro Carrijo (Aaron Gomez, Diego Luna), 95th minute: With his quick feet, Diego Luna out dribbled the United defenders to open himself up for a cross to the far post, finding the head of Aaron Gomez, who redirected to the center of the box into the path of Carrijo. Carrijo took the shot on the first touch, tucking the equalizing goal into the bottom corner.

NOTES:

– Locomotive kicked off its third season in USL Championship, hosting its Southwest rival, New Mexico United, playing to a draw with a goal apiece to open the season.

– New faces debuted for El Paso Locomotive FC with FW Luis Solignac making an appearance in the Starting XI playing for 78 minutes while Diego Luna and Aidan Apodaca made their debuts as subs in the 78th and 63rd minute respectively.

– Diego Luna made his professional debut as the youngest player to play in Locomotive’s history, making an immediate impact with a near goal shortly after subbing in.

Match: El Paso Locomotive FC vs New Mexico United
Date: May 8, 2021
Venue: Southwest University Park; El Paso, Texas
Weather: 83F; Clear Skies

Scoring Summary 1 2 F

El Paso Locomotive FC 0 1 1

New Mexico United 0 1 1

NM: Devon Sandoval (Harry Swartz), 57’
ELP: Leandro Carrijo (Aaron Gomez, Diego Luna), 90’+5

Lineups:

El Paso Locomotive FC (4-4-2): Logan Ketterer; Eder Borelli, Yuma, Mechack Jerome, Macauley King (Aidan Apodaca, 63’), Richie Ryan (Diego Luna, 78’), Nick Ross, Bryam Rebellon, Dylan Mares, Luis Solignac (Leandro Carrijo, 78’), Aaron Gomez

Subs not used: Marco Canales, Chapa Herrera, Jose Aguinaga, Matt Bahner

New Mexico United (4-4-2): Alex Tambakis; Kalen Ryden, Sam Hamilton, Daniel Bruce (Josh Suggs, 65’), Juan Guzmán (Michael Azira, 73’), Harry Swartz, Austin Yearwood, Sergio Rivas, Devon Sandoval, Isidro Martinez (Andrew Tinari, 65’), Amando Moreno (Ilija Ilic, 84’)

Subs not used: Rashid Tetteh, Philipp Beigl, Justin Schmidt

Stats Summary: ELP|NM

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:

ELP – Yuma (Caution), 7’
ELP – Bryam Rebellon (Caution), 26’
NM – Juan Guzmán (Caution), 66’
ELP – Dylan Mares (Caution), 75’
NM – Devon Sandoval (Caution), 87’
NM – Josh Suggs (Caution), 90’+2

Gameday Rundown | El Paso Locomotive vs New Mexico United

El Paso Locomotive FC kicks off its third USL Championship campaign against its heated regional rival New Mexico United on Saturday. Here is everything you need to know going into the weekend matchup:

MATCH DETAILS: USL Championship Regular Season Game #1; vs. New Mexico United

VENUE/WEATHER: Southwest University Park; El Paso, Texas; 83 degrees with clear skies

TICKETS: Click here!

WATCH: El Paso – Las Cruces CW | ESPN+

RECORDS/STANDINGS: Locomotive: 0-0-0 (0 points, MTN-4); United: 0-1-0 (0 points, MTN-6)

PREVIOUS MEETING: El Paso Locomotive and New Mexico United last met in the 2020 Western Conference final at Southwest University Park last October. A first-half goal from Dylan Mares was equalized by a stoppage-time goal by Romeo Parkes to end the 90 minutes level. Staying level through added extra time, Locomotive took the win after a penalty shootout, courtesy in part by a massive save from Logan Ketterer.

SOUTHWEST UNIVERSITY PARK HOME FORTRESS

The Locos have built a fortress at Southwest University Park with a record of 18-6-7 across all competitions. El Paso Locomotive lost only once at home in the 2020 season, remaining undefeated at Southwest University Park since July 24 when the team fell 2-1 to New Mexico United.

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINAL REMATCH

Locomotive FC and New Mexico United left it all on the pitch in the 2020 Western Conference semifinal that went to a full 120 minutes before Locomotive advanced on a penalty shootout. In the revival of the Southwest Derby, the two foes will have another opportunity to establish dominance in the Rio Grande region in a rematch of the Semifinal.

NEW LOCOMOTIVE FACES

El Paso signed many new faces to the squad, mainly bolstering its attacking front. Luis Solignac and Aidan Apodaca highlight the new signings in attack. Solignac led San Antonio FC goal scoring in 2020 while Apodaca has a goal per minute ratio of 60 over two seasons with Reno 1868 FC. Jose Aguinaga and Diego Luna bolster the midfield offensive, helping link the defense with the offense. Meanwhile, defender Niall Logue stands as the only new face on the backline, creating depth in an already solid defense.

UNITED NOTABLE DEPARTURES

New Mexico United lost key players from their 2020 USL Championship season, including goalkeeper Cody Mizell who signed with MLS side NYCFC. Also missing is Forward Chris Wehan, who has proven to be a dangerous threat to Locomotive in the first two seasons. Wehan signed with Orange County SC in the offseason.

ROAD WARRIORS LOSE ON THE ROAD

New Mexico United started its 2021 USL Championship season last week against Rio Grande Valley FC, in a contest that saw the Texas team get the better of the Road Warriors on a 1-0 scoreline.

El Paso Locomotive FC Kicksoff Third Season at Home Against New Mexico United

EL PASO, Texas (Thursday, May 6, 2021) – El Paso Locomotive FC begins its third campaign in the USL Championship with the revival of its heated rivalry against New Mexico United at Southwest University Park on Saturday, May 8. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. MT and will be broadcast live locally on the CW and digitally on ESPN+.

Southwest University Park will be open to a limited capacity with fans able to buy tickets at https://www.eplocomotivefc.com/tickets or by calling 915-235-GOAL (4625). The first 2,500 fans in the building will receive free fan clappers to help make some noise at the stadium.

After a long six months since the 2020 Western Conference final in October, El Paso Locomotive returns to action against its regional rival New Mexico United. In the 2020 season, the Locos Blue hosted its black-and-yellow rival four times in the regular season, splitting the record 1-1-2. The series culminated in a tense Western Conference Semifinal that saw a first-half goal by Dylan Mares be equalized by a second-half stoppage time finish by Romeo Parkes. While the game stayed level in added extra time, El Paso booked its second straight ticket to the Conference final in the resulting penalty shootout.

The match will be the first for Locomotive in 2021 as it takes on the Mountain Division in the Western Conference alongside its Texas rivals, San Antonio FC, Rio Grande Valley FC, and Austin Bold FC, as well as its 2020 Group C rivals New Mexico United, Switchbacks FC, and Real Monarchs. By the end of its second season, Locomotive had created a fortress in Southwest University Park, holding a record of 18-6-7 across all competitions at Southwest University Park, effectively El Paso one of the toughest places to play. The Locomotive fortress will now test its might against the road warriors who fell 1-0 away from home to Rio Grande Valley FC last Saturday.

Follow El Paso Locomotive FC vs New Mexico United – Sat., May 8, 2021

·         Coverage Begins: 7:30 p.m. MT
·         Local TV: EL Paso – Las Cruces CW
·         Digital Streaming: ESPN+
·         Social Media: @EPLocomotiveFC & #ELPvNM on Twitter
·         Additional Content: Official El Paso Locomotive FC App (iOS / Android)

Yuma and Richie Ryan Selected as Club Captains for 2021

For the 2021 Regular Season, Head Coach Mark Lowry will be fielding not just one mainstay captain on the field but will instead have two players lead the charge through the third USL Championship campaign. Yuma and Richie Ryan stand as the two primary pillars of leadership for Locomotive.

The Spanish defender is no stranger to branding the captain’s armband for the Locos Blue. Through the first two seasons, Yuma has captained Locomotive through 14 games, the majority of which came after Chiro N’toko’s unfortunate season-ending injury in early September last season. With a storied career that has led the 35-year-old footballer through some of the most prolific clubs in Spain as well as Puerto Rico and now with Locomotive, Yuma has a veteran look on the game, rivaled by few on the team.

Looking to slide back from the holding midfield into the center back position, Yuma has one of the few unique positions on the pitch to view everything at play, providing a vantage point to be a commanding presence for Locomotive. So far with Yuma donning the armband for Locomotive, the El Paso team has gone 6-4-4.

Alongside Yuma, acting a co-captain for the squad, is Irish defensive midfielder, Richie Ryan. Like Yuma, over the course of the first seasons, Ryan has branded the captain’s armband six times. An experienced veteran in the world’s game, Ryan has experience in the English Football Association, League of Ireland Premier Division, as well as Extensive USL and NASL experience in the United States. An accoladed midfielder, Ryan helped lead Silgo Rovers to back-to-back FAI Cups (2010, 2011) as well as the 2010 League of Ireland Cup. 2013 saw Ryan obtain the League of Ireland Cup again with the Shamrock Rovers before jumping to the United States where he took home the NASL Fall Championship with Ottawa Fury.

A leader on and off the pitch, Richie Ryan’s passion and experience in the game makes him an obvious choice to help lead the team in the third Locomotive season.

“It’s a role that I’ve been fortunate enough to have in the last few years of my career,” shared Ryan. “Wearing the armband is just something that the captain has to do, but I believe you don’t need an armband on to be a leader. We have a squad full of leaders – Me, Yuma, Nick Ross, Andrew Fox, Logan Ketterer, I could name the whole squad really. Yuma and I can bring experience from the career that we have, but we have plenty of leaders both on and off the pitch.”

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