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El Paso Locomotive FC

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El Paso Locomotive FC is an American professional soccer team based in El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2018, the team made its debut in the USL Championship in 2019.

El Paso Locomotive FC
FoundedMarch 1, 2018; 6 years ago (2018-03-01)
StadiumSouthwest University Park
Capacity7,500
OwnerMountainStar Sports Group
Head coachWilmer Cabrera
LeagueUSL Championship
202412th, Western Conference
Playoffs:DNQ
Websiteeplocomotivefc.com
Current season

History

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First Season

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In February 2018, the United Soccer League announced that El Paso was selected as an expansion team for the 2019 USL Championship season. The club will be run by MountainStar Sports Group.[1][2] In June 2018, El Paso announced the signing of their first player, Omar Salgado.[3] In July 2018, El Paso announced that their first head coach would be Mark Lowry, who had previously coached NASL's Jacksonville Armada FC.[4] After a 34-game season, El Paso Locomotive FC qualified for the USL Championship play-offs, reaching the Western Conference finals before falling 2–1 to the Real Monarchs.[5]

2020

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With COVID-19 shutting down many organizations worldwide, USL followed suit on March 12, 2020, announcing the season would be temporarily suspended.[6] In June 2020, USL Championship announced their return to play would be in an altered format of four team groups, competing for a spot in the playoffs starting in July 2020.[7] After the shortened season, El Paso Locomotive FC qualified for the playoffs advancing to the Western Conference Finals for a second year in a row, before falling to Phoenix Rising FC 4–2 in a shootout.[8]

 
Historical chart of El Paso Locomotive's regular season performance within the American soccer pyramid

2021–2024

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The 2021 USL Championship season returned to normal scheduling, consisting of a 32 game season, after which El Paso Locomotive FC qualified for their third straight playoffs,[9] but failing to get past the first round, falling to the Oakland Roots 1–0.[10] Though they fell out of the playoffs in the first round, El Paso had a great season, with Coach Lowry and six players being chosen for the USL Copa XI.[11] El Paso earned the title of best Division II team in Texas by winning the Copa Tejas Trophy.[12] In addition, El Paso was recognized as the most successful club in Texas, winning the inaugural Copa Tejas Shield.[13] Coach Lowry announced on November 15, 2021 that he would be leaving El Paso Locomotive FC.[14]

In December 2021, El Paso Locomotive FC announced they had hired John Hutchinson as their head coach going into the 2022 USL Championship season.[15] 2022 was again a 34 game season for the USL Championship, but for the first time in club history, El Paso failed to make the playoffs, finishing eight in the Western Conference.[16] After the 2022 season, Coach Hutchinson stepped down as coach to return with his family back to Australia.[17]

In January 2023, El Paso Locomotive announced they had hired Brian Clarhaut as their head coach going into the 2023 USL Championship season.[18] After a 34 game season, El Paso finished in 7th place in the Western Conference, qualifying for the playoffs before losing to Orange County SC 1–0 in the Western Conference quarterfinals.[19]

In the 2024 season El Paso started with a 1–8–2 record in their first eleven games. On May 17, the team announced they had parted ways with head coach Brian Clarhaut and assistant coach Jon Burklo.[20]

Club crest and colors

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The Locomotive brand was unveiled on October 4, 2018, beating out finalists Lagartos, Estrellas, Stars, and Tejanos.[21] The crest is shaped in a manner similar to Mission Style buildings and features three main colors: West Texas Sky blue, Desert Dusk blue, and High Noon Sun. The crest has 11 vertical stripes that represent the eleven players on the field and resemble the front of a locomotive. A city icon, The Star on The Mountain, adorns the top of the crest, which is shaped in the silhouette of the Franklin Mountains.[22][23]

Sponsorship

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Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2019–2020 BLK Southwest University
2021–2023 Adidas[24]
2024–present Hummel

Stadium

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The club play at Southwest University Park, a baseball stadium in Downtown El Paso that is also the home field for the El Paso Chihuahuas of the Pacific Coast League.

Rivalries

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El Paso's primary rivals are New Mexico United[25][26] and FC Juárez.[27]

Players and staff

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Roster

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As of December 20, 2024[28]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
3 DF   GHA Wahab Ackwei
6 MF   SLV Eric Calvillo
10 FW   SLV Amando Moreno
15 DF   USA Noah Dollenmayer
18 FW   RSA Tumi Moshobane
19 FW   USA Andy Cabrera
21 MF   NGA Bolu Akinyode
23 GK   JAM Jahmali Waite
No. Pos. Nation Player
25 DF   MEX Arturo Ortiz
30 MF   USA Robert Coronado
33 MF   USA Ricky Ruiz
58 FW   MEX Emiliano Rodriguez
93 DF   MEX Tony Alfaro
— FW   USA Omar Mora
— MF   USA Memo Diaz
— DF   USA Alvaro Quezada


Out on loan

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW   USA Christopher Garcia (on loan to Austin FC II)

Front-office staff

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  • Alan Ledford – president
  • Andrew Forrest – general manager

Technical staff

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  • Wilmer Cabrera – head coach
  • Ray Saari – techinical director[29]
  • Gerson Echeverry – 1st assistant coach[30]
  • Gianluca Masucci – assistant coach
  • JC Garzon – goalkeeper coach
  • Saul Soto – coordinator, equipment and player operations

Team records

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Year-by-year

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As of October 26, 2024
Season USL Championship Play-offs U.S. Open Cup Top scorer 1 Head coach
P W L D GF GA Pts Pos Player Goals
2019 34 13 10 11 42 36 50 6th, Western Conference Final 2nd round   Jerome Kiesewetter 12   Mark Lowry
2020 16 9 2 5 24 14 32 4th, Western
1st, Group C 		Conference Final Cancelled   Aarón Gómez 5
2021 32 18 4 10 56 34 64 2nd, Western
1st, Mountain Division 		Conference Quarterfinals Cancelled   Aarón Gómez
  Luis Solignac 		10
2022 34 13 14 7 56 52 46 8th, Western Did not qualify Second Round   Luis Solignac 16   John Hutchinson
2023 34 13 13 8 41 51 47 7th, Western Conference Quarterfinals Second Round   Luis Solignac 9   Brian Clarhaut
2024 34 8 18 8 27 46 32 12th, Western Did not qualify Third Round   Amando Moreno 6   Brian Clarhaut
  Wilmer Cabrera
Total 184 74 61 49 246 233 271 – – – Luis Solignac 35 –
Notes

^ 1. Top scorer includes statistics from league matches only.

Head coaches

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  • Includes USL Regular Season, USL Playoffs, U.S. Open Cup. Excludes friendlies.
Coach Nationality Start End Games Win Loss Draw Win %
Mark Lowry   England July 25, 2018 November 15, 2021[31] 57 26 15 16 045.61
John Hutchinson   Australia December 9, 2021 November 15, 2022[32] 35 13 15 7 037.14
Brian Clarhaut   United States December 15, 2022[33] May 17, 2024[34] 48 14 11 23 029.17
Wilmer Cabrera   Colombia May 20, 2024[35] present 18 5 9 4 027.78

Average attendance

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Year Reg. season Playoffs
2019[36] 6,584 7,460
2020[a] 1,458 1,659
2021[37] 6,214 7,201
2022[38] 6,517 DNQ
2023[39] 6,590 N/A
Notes
  1. ^ COVID-19

Honors

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Minor

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Player honors

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Year Player Country Position Honor
2021 Diego Luna   United States Midfielder All-League Second Team

References

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  1. ^ "El Paso Joins the United Soccer League for 2019 Season". Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  2. ^ "El Paso gets new expansion USL soccer team, will play at Southwest University Park in 2019". Archived from the original on March 8, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  3. ^ "El Paso USL Announces Omar Salgado as First Player Signing". EPLocomotiveFC.com. El Paso Locomotive FC. June 13, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  4. ^ "El Paso USL Names Head Coach and Technical Director". EPLocomotiveFC.com. El Paso Locomotive FC. July 25, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  5. ^ "El Paso Locomotive FC Close Out Historic Inaugural Season in The USL Western Conference Final". EPLocomotiveFC.com. El Paso Locomotive FC. November 9, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  6. ^ "USL Championship Temporarily Suspends Play". USLChampionship.com. USL Championship. March 12, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  7. ^ "USL Championship Announces Western Conference Groups". USLChampionship.com. USL Championship. June 25, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  8. ^ "Locomotive FC Bows Out of USL Championship Playoffs". EPLocomotiveFC.com. El Paso Locomotive FC. October 25, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  9. ^ "Always Improving: Locomotive from 2019 to 2021". EPLocomotiveFC.com. El Paso Locomotive FC. November 1, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  10. ^ "El Paso Locomotive Fall 1-0 to Oakland Roots SC". EPLocomotiveFC.com. El Paso Locomotive FC. November 5, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  11. ^ "Head Coach Mark Lowry and Six Locomotive Players Highlighed on 2021 Copa XI". EPLocomotiveFC.com. El Paso Locomotive FC. November 11, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  12. ^ "Copa Tejas for El Paso". EPLocomotiveFC.com. El Paso Locomotive FC. October 5, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  13. ^ "El Paso Locomotive Lifts First Copa Tejas Shield". EPLocomotiveFC.com. El Paso Locomotive FC. December 20, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  14. ^ "Mark Lowry Departs as El Paso Locomotive FC Head Coach and Technical Director". EPLocomotiveFC.com. El Paso Locomotive FC. November 15, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  15. ^ "El Paso Locomotive FC Announces John Hutchinson as New Head Coach and Technical Director". EPLocomotiveFC.com. El Paso Locomotive FC. December 9, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  16. ^ "Locomotive Close Out 2022 Season with Valiant Effort in Florida". EPLocomotiveFC.com. El Paso Locomotive FC. October 13, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  17. ^ "El Paso Locomotive FC Head Coach and Technical Director John Hutchinson to Depart Organization". EPLocomotiveFC.com. El Paso Locomotive FC. November 15, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  18. ^ "Brian Clarhaut Introduced as Head Coach and Technical Director for El Paso Locomotive". EPLocomotiveFC.com. El Paso Locomotive FC. January 12, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  19. ^ "Recap - El Paso Locomotive FC's Season Ends in Conference Quarterfinal". EPLocomotiveFC.com. El Paso Locomotive FC. October 21, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  20. ^ Huichapa, Alberto (May 17, 2024). "El Paso Locomotive FC Announces Departure of Head Coach and Technical Director Brian Clarhaut". EPLocomotiveFC.com. El Paso Locomotive. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  21. ^ "El Paso USL: Soccer team nickname will be the Locomotive; logo, crest unveiled". El Paso Times. October 4, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  22. ^ "Our Crest". El Paso Locomotive FC. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  23. ^ "El Paso Locomotive FC Rolled Out as City's New Professional Soccer Team" (Press release). El Paso Locomotive FC. October 4, 2018. Archived from the original on October 5, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2018 – via Business Wire.
  24. ^ "El Paso Locomotive FC Launches Partnership with Global Sports Brand Adidas". Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  25. ^ "One final United-El Paso matchup has big stakes". Albuquerque Journal. Journal Publishing Company. October 14, 2020. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  26. ^ Morgan, Andy (July 14, 2020). "Locomotive FC set to renew rivalry with New Mexico United". KTSM-TV. Nexstar Media Group. Archived from the original on December 20, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  27. ^ "Friendly Rival On The Border". eplocomotivefc.com. February 14, 2019. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  28. ^ "El Paso Locomotive FC Roster". www.uslchampionship.com. USL Championship. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  29. ^ Huichapa, Alberto (November 4, 2024). "El Paso Locomotive FC Appoint Ray Saari as Technical Director". El Paso Locomotive FC. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  30. ^ "El Paso Locomotive FC Welcome Gerson Echeverry as New Assistant Coach". September 21, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  31. ^ "Locomotive FC Announces Departure of Mark Lowry". November 15, 2021. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  32. ^ Huichapa, Alberto (November 15, 2022). "El Paso Locomotive FC Head Coach and Technical Director John Hutchinson to Depart Organization". El Paso Locomotive FC. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  33. ^ Huichapa, Alberto (December 15, 2022). "El Paso Locomotive Announce Brian Clarhaut as New Head Coach and Technical Director". El Paso Locomotive FC. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  34. ^ Huichapa, Alberto (May 17, 2024). "El Paso Locomotive FC Announces Departure of Head Coach and Technical Director Brian Clarhaut". El Paso Locomotive. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  35. ^ Huichapa, Alberto (May 20, 2024). "El Paso Locomotive FC Appoint Wilmer Cabrera as New Head Coach". El Paso Locomotive. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  36. ^ "2019 USL Championship Attendance". Soccer Stadium Digest. October 20, 2019. Archived from the original on September 27, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  37. ^ "2021 USL Championship Attendance". Soccer Stadium Digest. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  38. ^ "2022 USL Championship Attendance". Soccer Stadium Digest. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  39. ^ "2023 USL Championship Attendance". Soccer Stadium Digest. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
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