Club News

EL PASO – January 15, 2019 – El Paso Locomotive FC announced today that individual match tickets for the historic inaugural 2019 season will go on sale Saturday, January 19th at 10:00 a.m. at Southwest University Park and online at https://www.eplocomotivefc.com. This will be the first time the general public will have the opportunity to purchase individual match tickets for the Locomotive’s historic first season.

“This is a monumental announcement for the Locomotive and allows fans in the Borderplex a chance to buy individual match tickets for the first time,” said Andrew Forrest General Manager, Business Operations. “With many regional rivalries to enjoy, a very high level of play on the field, and various price points to fit every budget, there is truly something for everyone. We expect Opening Night, March 9th, to be very popular as Coach Mark Lowry’s squad takes on OKC Energy at 7:30 p.m. El Paso will not want to miss this match!”

Season Ticket Members will have priority online access beginning Wednesday, January 16, and fans who signed up for the individual match ticket waiting list will have the opportunity to purchase their tickets online on Friday, January 18. The general public will be able to purchase tickets in person on January 19, starting at 10 a.m. at the Durango and Santa Fe Box Offices at Southwest University Park or online at https://www.eplocomotivefc.com/tickets

Season Ticket Members and fans on the individual match ticket waiting list will receive information via email detailing the process to purchase individual match tickets. Fans interested in learning more about the benefits of Season Ticket Membership may contact an EP Locomotive Account Executive at 915-235-GOAL or visit https://www.eplocomotivefc.com/seasontickets

Individual match tickets start as low as $5 per match for the GECU Green Seats. Advance purchasers can enjoy a savings over day of match prices in reserved seating areas.

The USL Championship season will run 33 weeks starting March 9 and concluding October 20. El Paso Locomotive will play three home matches in March, all on Saturdays — March 9, March 23, March 30. Locomotive FC will play 26 of their 34 games on Saturday evenings in the 2019 inaugural season.

The historic inaugural season opener on March 9 includes a spectacular post-match fireworks show. Other firework dates are June 22 and after the final home regular season match on Thursday, October 10 against Austin Bold FC. A full promotional calendar will be released in the coming weeks.

EL PASO – January 11, 2019 – El Paso Locomotive FC signs Colombian right back, Bryam Rebellon. Rebellon played his youth and early days of his professional career in Argentina and his home country of Colombia. Playing with Independiente Santa Fe in Colombia’s top division and then spending time with Club Atletico Sarmiento in Argentina led Rebellon to the United States where he joined LA Galaxy II in 2016, where he appeared 24 times and netted two goals.

In 2017, Rebellon joined Jacksonville Armada (21 appearances), the former club of El Paso Locomotive Head Coach, Mark Lowry and teammates, Derek Gebhard, Joshua Castellanos and Yuma. After a year stint in Jacksonville, Rebellon joined Swope Park Rangers of the USL Championship for the 2018 season and appeared in 26 matches.  

“Bryam is another very intelligent footballer and an incredible athlete who possesses great technique” said Lowry. “He can play various positions, but over the past couple of years has really made the right back spot his home.”

“What really sets Bryam apart though, is his character and work ethic. A phenomenal worker who dedicates his life to being the best he can be on the field. I am looking forward to having another high-quality personality in our locker room,” continued Lowry.

El Paso Locomotive FC plays their first match in their inaugural 2019 season on March 9th, against OKC Energy FC at Southwest University Park at 7:30 PM.

Fans are encouraged to sign up for the individual match tickets waiting list on the EP Locomotive FC website at https://www.eplocomotivefc.com/individualtickets

EL PASO – January 10, 2019 – El Paso Locomotive FC receives midfielder Edson Partida on loan from Deportivo Toluca F.C., who play in Liga MX and who have won the Mexican Primera Division 10 times (third most winningest club in Liga MX). Partida also has experience on the U-20 side with Toluca; in Third Division with Buscando un Campeón and Cocula FC. He has appeared in matches with Chiapas U-17 side as well.

The 21-year-old Partida brings a youthful edge to the Locomotive roster with solid professional experience already under his belt in the top echelon of professional Mexican soccer.

“Partida is a young, hungry player, who for me, is a very exciting addition. He is a natural left winger, loves to run at defenders and has a toughness and determination about him that is very characteristic of Liga MX players,” said Head Coach Mark Lowry. “He is eager to learn and develop, and I know we can provide him the platform to grow on and off the field.”

The addition of Partida to the Locomotive roster for the 2019 season is another example of EP Locomotive’s opportunity to work with top tier clubs from around the world.

“We are getting attention from Liga MX’s teams who trust us to develop their talent. This is a massive step in our development as a club,” said Andrew Forrest General Manager, Business Operations.

The team that EP Locomotive FC Head Coach, Mark Lowry has been putting together for the inaugural season is taking shape with training camp and report dates for players set for the middle of January.

Partida is the 12th player announced, with more to follow in the coming weeks.

EL PASO – January 8, 2019 – El Paso Locomotive FC signs El Pasoan, Louis “Chapa” Herrera. Herrera piqued the interest of the Locomotive coaching staff during the 2018 Alianza de Futbol tournament in El Paso, where he competed with an all-star team comprised of former professionals and collegiate players.

“We saw him play at the Alianza tournament in September, where I think he ran 5,000 miles and didn’t give the ball away once all weekend,” said head coach Mark Lowry. “We invited him to tryouts where he performed well and once again showed his quality and potential.”

After a successful two days at the December 1 and 2 open tryouts, Herrera received a spot to attend the invitational tryout on December 8 and 9 where he continued to impress the staff.
A few weeks after the invitational tryout, Herrera came to the El Paso Locomotive offices with his family and was offered a contract for the inaugural 2019 season. Lowry said, “In my years of doing this, I can honestly say it was one of my proudest moments sitting with Louis and his family while he signed forms to become a full-time professional soccer player.”

“At 22, he has incredible room for growth and the opportunity to change the lives of him and his family. This is what dreams are made of. Last week he was working construction, today he signed a professional contract,” said Lowry. “I am honored to be part of this journey with Louis and everyone else in El Paso who aspires to be something special”

Herrera is the second El Pasoan on the Locomotive roster, joining 2011 number one overall MLS SuperDraft pick, Omar Salgado.

When El Paso Locomotive takes the field on March 9, fans will be blown away by the high-level of play in the USL Championship. General Manager, Business Operations Andrew Forrest said, “The fact that another local player has earned his way onto the first team and can compete at this level is encouraging and a great sign of the high-level of talent in El Paso.”
 

EL PASO – January 4, 2019 — El Paso Locomotive FC signs Mexican midfielder, Kevin Ramirez from Club Deportivo Guadalajara, more commonly known as Chivas. Ramirez moved up the ranks in the Guadalajara youth program, most notably with the U15s and U20s and made his professional debut with Chivas in August of 2018 against Cruz Azul.

The 20-year-old Ramirez also attended trials with English Premier League powerhouse, Manchester City when he was 15. His experience at such a young age speaks volumes to the caliber of players head coach, Mark Lowry is acquiring for EP Locomotive.

“When the opportunity presented itself to bring Ramirez to El Paso, it was a very simple decision. He is very versatile, he can play 3-4 positions within the team. He is a very intelligent player, composed and incredibly mature player for someone so young,” said Lowry.

“Developed and currently contracted at Chivas, one of the most prestigious clubs in the continent, shows how well regarded he is as a player,” Lowry said on Ramirez’s prowess.

“For us to work with Chivas and bring Ramirez here for 2019 will be great for all parties involved. I am excited to see Kevin develop with us and compete daily to make our team stronger,” said Lowry.

EP Locomotive FC has ten players on the roster and includes international athletes from Argentina, Belgium, Mexico, Scotland, and Spain with more signings to be officially announced in the coming weeks. Training camp will kick off in mid-January.

You rev the engine to hear it purr. There is power between your hands and feet that can be unleashed in a flash. The acceleration is incredible, and it maneuvers on a dime. You push it to its limits and test the full capabilities of the finely tuned machine. Just how close can it get to its peak without it breaking? How do you keep it running over time and prevent anything from wearing out? One is comprised of forged metal and gears while the other is a fusion of cells, flesh, and bone. Both are built for speed and power and follow many of the same grand ideas of maintenance and energy. Your sports car has a mechanic, our squad has Gabriel Zapponi.

With the first team training session on the horizon, Zapponi has likely positioned himself as the most loved and hated person on the coaching staff. His role is to push the players to their edge—redline—then bring them back a fraction of a percent better than before every day. His game is one of little victories—measured in fractions of a second, fractions of an inch, the addition of a single pound more on a lift—with the final goal of producing better athletes and taking a proactive rather than reactive approach to injuries. As the Manager of Sports Performance and Science, Zapponi is ready to get the Locomotive well-tuned and barreling down the track day in and day out.

Born and raised in Brazil, Zapponi came to the United States when he was 20 years old and attended a junior college before making his jump to the University of Central Florida where he played as a midfielder for the Knights. Upon receiving his undergraduate degree in Sports and Exercise Science in 2014, he moved to Jacksonville, Fla. to pursue his master’s degree. This opened the pathway to the Jacksonville Armada, where he started his work on the youth soccer side and where he just so happened to meet Mark Lowry.

Zapponi recalled on his last two years of working alongside Lowry and developing fitness in their players, “Working with Mark before and knowing his style has helped me to better coordinate workouts and training sessions based on what the players need. We have this understanding already that allows us to work well together. Without a word, I know what he is thinking and am better able to do what is best for our team.”

This understanding between the coaching staff for the Locomotive and the swagger that stems from it has been duly noted. In short, there doesn’t seem to be any first day of school moments between the two. They are moving along without missing a step or rep (because we all know that Zapponi is counting).

From designing workouts, running analytical measurements on players during and after training sessions or games, and everything that falls in between, Zapponi has his work cut out for him. If you are not a gearhead then perhaps the relationship to soccer and music is more your tune.  If soccer is a symphony, our team is an orchestra, Lowry is the composer/conductor, and Zapponi is the “A” note in which all others tune to. Music and soccer share a dance with one another and there is a rhythm about the sport that runs in its veins; from the coaching perspective there is a give and take, and when it comes to the training aspect, Gabriel puts it best, “It’s all about trying to find that balance. I want the highest level of fitness for the guys and I want to push them, but I also need to make sure they are ready for games and have fresh legs. That’s the challenge in my position, the more fitness and training you do the more technical they become, but the more fatigued they become as well. My job is to find that point where we make the best athletes.”

Zapponi is not unaccustomed to moving someplace new for his career, but how would you even begin to describe El Paso to someone coming from a place as drastically different as Florida and Brazil? What would you tell them about first? How do you define the culture and feeling that El Paso gives you when you see that shining mountain star from the window of an airplane? How do you describe the interchange of language, where people effortlessly switch between English and Spanish without a hiccup?

“You can’t tell what El Paso is through the internet. I tried Googling it to see what to expect and get a feel. Once you get to El Paso, you say ‘whoa this is not what I expected’ in a really positive way.

“My first impression of El Paso is how friendly everyone is. Everyone wants to help you no matter what you need. I’m really happy here, my family is going to be happy here also,” states Zapponi as we begin wrapping up the interview.

But before we finish, I ask him one last question, the question that EVERY single person gets asked in a workplace-centric interview, “What’s the best part of your job?”

He responds without hesitation, “Getting to work with soccer every single day, making sure players are getting better every single day. I want to educate and teach these players so that they have the tools to become the best version of themselves as players and as people.  I want to get them to the next level. Every player, no matter who you are or what level you are currently playing in has a next level in them. I am here to get that next level out of them.”

EL PASO – December 19, 2018 – El Paso Locomotive FC have released their inaugural 2019 season schedule which kicks off with a historic home opener against OKC Energy FC on March 9, at Southwest University Park. The USL Championship season will run 33 weeks starting March 9 and will conclude on October 20. El Paso Locomotive will play three home matches in March which will all be held on Saturdays — March 9, March 23, March 30. Locomotive FC will play 26 of their 34 games on Saturday in the 2019 inaugural season.  

 “I am beyond excited about the release of the schedule.” said General Manager, Business Operations Andrew Forrest, “Fans have been looking forward to this for months and now everyone will have a chance to experience and be a part of history during this inaugural season for El Paso Locomotive. With players from all over the globe and the high level of play in the USL, it will make for some exciting nights at Southwest University Park. I cannot wait for the fans in El Paso to experience this level of professional soccer for themselves!”

The 34-game schedule will see Locomotive FC playing a home-and-away match with each team within the Western Conference of the USL Championship, with regional and state rivalries already forming.  A heated matchup between El Paso Locomotive FC and New Mexico United (Albuquerque) has been scheduled for Sunday, May 12, at Southwest University Park, with the away matchup set for Wednesday, July 31 in Albuquerque.

Texas has four USL Championship teams; El Paso Locomotive FC, Rio Grande Valley FC, Austin Bold FC, and San Antonio FC. All teams will play each other in a home-and-away series for the bragging rights of the best team in the state of Texas at stake.

El Paso Locomotive FC will also be playing matches against three MLS II squads this season, starting with an away match against Portland Timbers 2 on May 25. El Pasoans will see the first home match against an MLS II squad on June 8, against LA Galaxy II. 

El Paso Locomotive FC is still providing Season Ticket opportunities, Groups, and Premium Seating Options for the historic 2019 inaugural season. Seats are limited and filling up fast, don’t miss your chance! For more information please visit our website at https://www.eplocomotivefc.com, call 915-235-GOAL, or email tickets@https://www.eplocomotivefc.com.

Our individual match tickets will be on sale at a later date. Fans can sign up now to receive priority to purchase their tickets at  https://www.eplocomotivefc.com/individualtickets

El Paso Locomotive FC Full 2019 Inaugural Season Schedule

March 9    OKC Energy FC
March 16    Real Monarchs SLC
March 23    Rio Grande Valley FC
March 30    Orange County SC
April 13    Phoenix Rising FC
April 21    Austin Bold FC
April 27    Reno 1868 FC
May 4    Co. Springs Switchbacks FC
May 12    New Mexico United
May 18    Sacramento Republic FC
May 25    Portland Timbers 2
June 1    Seattle Sounders FC 2
June 8    LA Galaxy II
June 15    Tulsa Roughnecks FC
June 22    Las Vegas Lights FC
June 26    San Antonio FC
June 29    Fresno FC
July 6    OKC Energy FC
July 17    San Antonio FC
July 20    Real Monarchs SLC
July 31    New Mexico United
Aug. 3    Portland Timbers 2
Aug. 10    Phoenix Rising FC
Aug. 17    Seattle Sounders FC2
Aug. 24    Rio Grande Valley FC
Sept. 4    Tulsa Roughnecks FC
Sept. 7    Las Vegas Lights FC
Sept. 14    Orange County SC
Sept. 21    Co. Springs Switchbacks FC
Sept. 28    Sacramento Republic FC
Oct. 2    Fresno FC
Oct. 5    Reno 1868 FC
Oct. 10    Austin Bold FC
Oct. 19    LA Galaxy II

El Paso Locomotive FC 2019 Home Schedule

March 09    OKC Energy FC    7:30 PM
March 23    Rio Grande Valley FC    7:30 PM
March 30    Orange County SC    7:30 PM
April 13    Phoenix Rising FC    7:30 PM
April 27    Reno 1868 FC    7:30 PM
May 12    New Mexico United    6:00 PM
May 18    Sacramento Republic FC    7:30 PM
June 08    LA Galaxy II    7:30 PM
June 22    Las Vegas Lights FC    7:30 PM
July 17    San Antonio FC    7:00 PM
July 20    Real Monarchs SLC    7:30 PM
August 03    Portland Timbers 2    7:30 PM
August 17    Seattle Sounders FC2    7:30 PM
September 04    Tulsa Roughnecks FC    7:00 PM
September 21    Co. Springs Switchbacks FC    7:30 PM
October 02    Fresno FC    7:00 PM
October 10    Austin Bold FC    7:30 PM
*All times Mountain and subject to change

2019 Home Schedule Breakdown
By Month
March 3
April 2
May 2
June 2
July 2
August 2
September 2
October 2

By Day of the Week
Wednesday 3
Thursday 1
Saturday 12
Sunday 1

TAMPA, Fla. – The 2019 USL Championship season will open with a landmark opening day on Saturday, March 9 thanks to a 17-game slate of action – the most on a single day in the league’s history – that kicks off the regular season.

The Championship’s home openers were revealed in full on Friday as fans of the league’s 36 clubs got their first glimpse of the 2019 campaign, with an opening day of games that includes inaugural home matches for four expansion franchises across the country.

Birmingham Legion FC, El Paso Locomotive FC, Memphis 901 FC and New Mexico United will all open their inaugural seasons on home turf, with Memphis welcoming the Tampa Bay Rowdies to AutoZone Park for its first regular-season home game and Birmingham facing 2018 USL Cup Playoffs side Bethlehem Steel FC in its opener at BBVA Compass Field.

Locomotive FC will begin its inaugural season at Southwest University Park with a visit from OKC Energy FC, while New Mexico United will play host to Fresno FC in its inaugural home opener at Isotopes Park.

Other notable games on the opening day of the season include high-profile games in each conference with two-time defending USL Cup champion Louisville City FC opening its season on the road against North Carolina FC and a rematch of the 2016 USL Cup as the New York Red Bulls II play host to the Swope Park Rangers highlighting the slate in the Eastern Conference.

Defending Western Conference champion Phoenix Rising FC also opens its campaign on the road as it visits San Antonio FC at Toyota Field, while Reno 1868 FC plays host to Orange County SC at Greater Nevada Field in a rematch from the 2018 USL Cup Playoffs. Sacramento Republic FC welcomes Real Monarchs SLC to Papa Murphy’s Park for a battle of two consistent playoffs contenders in recent seasons.

Beyond the opening weekend of the season, the Championship will see the opening of a pair of soccer-specific venues over the course of its opening weeks, with Austin Bold FC playing host to Texas rival San Antonio FC on Saturday, March 30 for the first regular-season contest in Bold Stadium history. The spotlight will then fall on Hartford Athletic on Saturday, May 4 as it hosts its inaugural home opener at historic Dillon Stadium with a visit from the Charlotte Independence.

Home Teams Listed First
Saturday, March 9
ATL UTD 2 vs. Hartford Athletic
Birmingham Legion FC vs. Bethlehem Steel FC
Charleston Battery vs. Ottawa Fury FC
El Paso Locomotive FC vs. OKC Energy FC
LA Galaxy II vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
Las Vegas Lights FC vs. Austin Bold FC
Memphis 901 FC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Nashville SC vs. Loudoun United FC
New Mexico United vs. Fresno FC
New York Red Bulls II vs. Swope Park Rangers
North Carolina FC vs. Louisville City FC
Reno 1868 FC vs. Orange County SC
Sacramento Republic FC vs. Real Monarchs SLC
Saint Louis FC vs. Indy Eleven
San Antonio FC vs. Phoenix Rising FC
Seattle Sounders FC 2 vs. Rio Grande Valley FC
Tulsa Roughnecks FC vs. Portland Timbers 2

Friday, March 15
Charlotte Independence vs. Indy Eleven

Saturday, March 16
Bethlehem Steel FC vs. North Carolina FC
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs. Sacramento Republic FC
OKC Energy FC vs. Las Vegas Lights FC
Orange County SC vs. Tulsa Roughnecks FC
Phoenix Rising FC vs. New Mexico United
Real Monarchs SLC vs. El Paso Locomotive FC
Rio Grande Valley FC vs. Fresno FC
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

Saturday, March 23
Fresno FC vs. Reno 1868 FC
Louisville City FC vs. Hartford Athletic
Portland Timbers 2 vs. Las Vegas Lights FC
Swope Park Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

Saturday, March 30
Austin Bold FC vs. San Antonio FC
Indy Eleven vs. Hartford Athletic

Saturday, April 6
Ottawa Fury FC vs. Nashville SC

Saturday, April 13
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC vs. Hartford Athletic

Friday, May 3
Loudoun United FC vs. Bethlehem Steel FC

Saturday, May 4
Hartford Athletic vs. Charlotte Independence

TAMPA, Fla. – The USL Championship today announced its conference alignment for the league’s 2019 regular season. The league will feature 36 teams across two conferences in the upcoming season, with the clubs set to embark on a 34-game regular-season schedule that will be conducted over 33 weeks and open on the weekend of March 8-10, 2019.

Four of the league’s expansion arrivals will join the Eastern Conference, with Birmingham Legion FC, Hartford Athletic, Loudoun United FC and Memphis 901 FC joining the conference led by defending USL Cup champion Louisville City FC.

The Eastern Conference also features two new arrivals in Saint Louis FC and the Swope Park Rangers, who make the move after both reaching the USL Cup Playoffs in the Western Conference a season ago.

The remaining three expansion clubs – Austin Bold FC, El Paso Locomotive FC and New Mexico United – join the Western Conference for their inaugural seasons. The addition of Austin and El Paso to the conference gives the USL Championship four clubs in Texas for the first time, while New Mexico and El Paso are set to engage in a strong regional rivalry with the clubs separated by just over 250 miles.

Home openers for the 2019 USL Championship season and the full 2019 regular season schedule will be announced at a future date.