Position: Midfielder
Date of Birth (Age): 06/19/2005 (18)
Hometown: El Paso, Texas
Pronunciation: Diego Ah-BAR-kah
BIOGRAPHY
Diego Abarca enters his third season with El Paso Locomotive FC.
The young El Paso native, who came through the ranks of the El Paso Locomotive FC Academy, signed on to the 2022 squad with a USL Academy contract after impressing the first team coaching staff.
Abarca made his Locomotive debut with a start against Las Vegas Lights on March 23, 2022, cementing himself as the youngest ever starter in club history (16 years, nine months, four days).
Later that season, he became the club’s youngest ever scorer (16 y, 11 m, 16 d) with his long-range shot against Hartford Athletic, which was featured on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10 at #8.
At the conclusion of the 2022 season, Abarca would make history once again (alongside former teammate Joel Maldonado) as the one of the first two Locomotive Academy products to sign full professional contracts.
Throughout the 2023 season, Abarca helped the Locomotive U-20 USL Academy team clinch a historic first berth in the USL Academy League Finals.
PREVIOUS CLUBS: El Paso Locomotive FC Academy (2020-2022)