 | ||||
| Founded | March 1, 2018 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium | Southwest University Park | |||
| Capacity | 7,500 | |||
| Owner | MountainStar Sports Group | |||
| Head coach | Brian Clarhaut | |||
| League | USL Championship | |||
| 2023 | 7th, Western Conference Playoffs: Conference Quarterfinals | |||
| Website | Club website | |||
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.
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]
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]
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 Sheild. [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]
The Locomotive brand was unveiled on October 4, 2018, beating out finalists Lagartos, Estrellas, Stars, and Tejanos. [20] 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. [21] [22]
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2019–2020 | BLK | Southwest University |
| 2021–2023 | Adidas [23] | |
| 2024–present | Hummel |
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.
El Paso's primary rivals are New Mexico United [24] [25] and FC Juárez. [26]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| 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 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 11th, Western | TBD | Third Round | Amando Moreno | 2 | |
| Total | 155 | 66 | 47 | 43 | 225 | 198 | 241 | – | – | – | Luis Solignac | 35 | – |
^ 1. Top scorer includes statistics from league matches only.
| Coach | Nationality | Start | End | Games | Win | Loss | Draw | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Lowry | England | July 25, 2018 | November 15, 2021 [28] | 57 | 26 | 15 | 16 | 45.61 |
| John Hutchinson | Malta | December 9, 2021 | November 15, 2022 [29] | 35 | 13 | 15 | 7 | 37.14 |
| Brian Clarhaut |  United States | December 15, 2022 [30] | present | 39 | 13 | 17 | 9 | 33.33 |
| Year | Reg. season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 [31] | 6,584 | 7,460 |
| 2020 [lower-alpha 1] | 1,458 | 1,659 |
| 2021 [32] | 6,214 | 7,201 |
| 2022 [33] | 6,517 | DNQ |
| 2023 [34] | 6,590 | N/A |
| Year | Player | Country | Position | Honor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Diego Luna | United States | Midfielder | All-League Second Team |
Matt Bahner is an American former soccer player who last played as a defender for USL Championship club El Paso Locomotive.
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José Antonio "Tony" Alfaro Vázquez is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a defender for USL Championship club El Paso Locomotive.
Mark Lowry is an English football manager who is currently the head coach for Real Monarchs in MLS Next Pro.
Justin Dhillon is an American professional soccer player who currently plays for USL Championship club El Paso Locomotive.
Eric Santana Calvillo Ramirez is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for USL Championship club El Paso Locomotive. Born in the United States, he plays for the El Salvador national team.
Brian Clarhaut is an American soccer coach who currently coaches El Paso Locomotive FC in the USL Championship.
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Austin Bold FC was an American professional soccer team located in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2017, the team made its debut in the USL Championship in 2019. In 2021, Austin Bold FC announced it would be moving to Fort Worth, Texas leaving Circuit of the Americas at the end of the season but may have to wait until 2023, depending on the construction of their stadium. As of March 2024, the team remains inactive.
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Copa Tejas is the two cup competitions and one shield between the Major League Soccer, USL Championship and NWSL teams of the state of Texas, awarded by independent supporters groups of the state's teams. It was initially founded in 2019 by supporters of San Antonio FC. It awards a Division 1 trophy for the top Major League Soccer team, a Division 2 trophy for the top USL Championship team, and the Copa Tejas Shield for the best team across all participants. The current Major League Soccer clubs are Austin FC, FC Dallas, and Houston Dynamo FC. The USL Championship clubs are El Paso Locomotive FC and San Antonio FC. NWSL side Houston Dash participates only in the Copa Tejas Shield as the lone Texas team in the league.
The 2020 El Paso Locomotive FC season was the second season for El Paso Locomotive FC in the USL Championship (USLC), the second-tier professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. This article covers the period from November 18, 2019, the day after the 2019 USLC Playoff Final, to the conclusion of the 2020 USLC Playoff Final, scheduled for November 12–16, 2020.
The 2021 New Mexico United season was the third season for New Mexico United in the USL Championship, the second-tier professional soccer league in the United States. This article covers the period from November 1, 2020, the day after the cancellation of the 2020 USL playoff final, to the conclusion of the 2021 USL playoff final. The USL Championship 2021 season began on April 24, and New Mexico United played its first competitive match of the season on May 1.
Diego Angel Luna is an American professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Major League Soccer club Real Salt Lake.
The 2021 El Paso Locomotive FC season was the third season for El Paso Locomotive FC in the USL Championship (USLC), the second-tier professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. El Paso Locomotive FC also participates in the U.S. Open Cup and competes with all other professional teams in Texas in the Copa Tejas.
The 2022 El Paso Locomotive FC season was the fourth season for El Paso Locomotive FC in the USL Championship (USLC), the second-tier professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. El Paso Locomotive FC also participates in the U.S. Open Cup and competes with all other professional teams in Texas for the Copa Tejas.
The 2023 El Paso Locomotive FC season was the fifth season for El Paso Locomotive FC in the USL Championship, the second tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada.
The 2024 El Paso Locomotive FC season will be the sixth season for El Paso Locomotive FC in the USL Championship, the second tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada.
