El Paso Locomotive FC has added two attackers to their expanding roster. Nick Ross (Scotland) and Calvin Rezende (USA) will find their place in the midfield and be integral components of the Locomotive squad.
Nick Ross has amassed an impressive international career in his homeland, playing in the Scottish First Division, Scottish Premier League, and Scottish Premiership. Ross came out of the Inverness CT Youth Ranks and made his pro debut in 2009.
Ross had an integral role in helping Inverness achieve promotion to the Scottish Premier League. In the 2014-2015 season, Ross and Inverness Caledonian Thistle won the Scottish Cup.
“At 27 years of age, and with over 200 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, Nick will be bringing a lot of all-round quality and experience into our midfield. He is a box to box midfielder, he has a fantastic engine and is very comfortable on the ball and values keeping possession. He is the perfect midfielder to compliment the players around him and will be an important factor on both sides of the ball for us. Bringing Nick to El Paso is just another example of how we have scouted the world and put in the time to find the right players that fit our philosophy and identity,” said Head Coach Mark Lowry. Nick Ross had this to say on his new city and club, “I’m excited about coming to play in the USL and grateful to El Paso for giving me this opportunity. I am looking forward to a new challenge and can’t wait to get started.”
Calvin Rezende has played professional soccer at multiple levels in the US Soccer Pyramid. Rezende played with the Michigan Bucks in the PDL in 2015 where he was an MVP candidate and led the league in assists.
For the 2016-2017 season, he was with Miami FC in the NASL and logged 1,436 minutes where he boasted an impressive 90 percent passing accuracy in the 2017 season. Before his professional career in the US, Rezende trained with Cadiz and Crotone in Spain. Rezende is coming to El Paso from his current club, Penn FC in the USL.
Head Coach Mark Lowry has had prior experience coaching opposite of Rezende and had this to say, “I have been aware of Calvin for a while now, having played against him numerous times when he was with Miami FC in the NASL. His technical ability and composure on the ball are of the highest order. He was an integral part of the Miami FC team that in 2017 was the best team outside of MLS. He held his own and contributed in a midfield that boasted some big names. He is incredibly serious about his profession and has big aspirations and a desire to improve as a player. These are perfect characteristics for an El Paso Locomotive FC player.”
El Paso Locomotive FC continues to build their roster by signing midfielder Sebastian Contreras (Argentina) pending league and federation approval.
Contreras made his professional debut with Atletico Venezuela in the 2012 season and won the Primera Division with Zamora FC in 2016. He will be coming to El Paso from his current club, Defensores Unidos of the Primera C in Argentina.
The scouting team for El Paso Locomotive has left no stone unturned in their search for the highest quality players from across the globe.
Head Coach and Technical Director Mark Lowry remarked on the newest member of the squad, “I spent many weeks observing Contreras and his quality on the ball was evident from the first moment. He has a magical left foot, he can go past defenders on the dribble, and he also links up well with teammates. For us to have the opportunity to bring a player of his caliber here says a lot about what we are trying to achieve. He has won championships in Venezuela, and only a couple of months ago was playing against Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina and was one of the best players on the field. He is a player that will be very exciting to watch and will get the fans out of their seats.”
Contreras will be the sixth player signed for the 2019 inaugural season thus far and is the second international player, joining Chiro N’toko (Belgium).
El Paso Locomotive FC has signed Joshua Castellanos (United States) and Chiro N’toko (Belgium), bringing a wealth of soccer experience to the new club.
According to club officials, Castellanos will find his place in the midfield and comes to El Paso from Jacksonville Armada, the former Club of El Paso Locomotive FC Head Coach, Mark Lowry and forward, Derek Gebhard who was signed earlier this year.
During the 2018 season, Castellanos saw ten starts in 12 games played and netted four goals and one assist. Chiro N’toko, center back, has spent the majority of his professional career in the Eerste Divisie and the Eredivisie which is the highest level of professional soccer in the Netherlands.
N’toko will be an integral component of the defense and is coming from the Fortuna Liga in Slovakia, where he played with FK Senica. With these two signings, El Paso Locomotive FC’s roster is officially five players signed with more announcements to come.
Head Coach, Mark Lowry has brought two players from Jacksonville Armada thus far and said, “Having worked with Josh this past season, I was eager to continue our work together. He is a very exciting young player; he is an extremely hard worker, comfortable receiving under pressure and has that extra bit of creativity in the final third that is hard to teach. He will be a great asset to the group. I am very excited to see where we can go on this journey because he has a lot of talent and is far from his full potential.”
With over ten years of professional experience playing in Europe, N’toko brings with him invaluable experience and knowledge of the game.
“When building a winning team, I believe the center backs are a critical piece, and no stone was left unturned in our pursuit to bring the right one to this Club. In Chiro, we have a center back who is comfortable building our possession from the back and is aggressive and athletic enough to defend in the manner with which we plan to play this season. His experience and character are second to none. Playing at the highest levels in Holland he has been drilled on playing out from the back; he is a born winner and will be a great leader for us on and off the field,” said Mark Lowry.
Staff Report October 4, 2018SportsComments Off on All Aboard! El Paso Locomotive FC Official Name of City’s New Professional Soccer Team
On Thursday afternoon, at a high-energy presentation at the EPIC Railyard Event Center, officials from MountainStar Sports Group announced that El Paso Locomotive FC is the name of the newest USL team in the country.
“Thanks to input from thousands of people throughout El Paso and the Borderplex who participated in our Name The Team Contest, we believe El Paso Locomotive FC and its crest accurately represent this region,” said Alan Ledford, President of MountainStar Sports Group.
“The overriding objectives of MountainStar Sports Group are to improve the quality of life in this region and to make it more economically competitive, and the addition of USL professional soccer beginning in 2019 is a significant step forward in that effort. We’re proud to represent the 915.”
The search for the team name began with a community-wide effort inviting the region’s fans to submit names through the El Paso USL website. The list was narrowed based on creativity, marketability, fun, and relevance to El Paso’s unique character.
Locomotive was the name chosen to reflect El Paso’s history, unique spirit, and momentum. The new name provides the foundation for a comprehensive brand of fun, family-oriented entertainment associated with professional soccer.
“We want to thank El Pasoans for the energy and passion they brought to the Name The Team process. The tremendous community input and support we received is greatly appreciated,” said Andrew Forrest, General Manager of El Paso Locomotive. “El Paso Locomotive looks forward to bringing the high-quality soccer our fans have been waiting for to Southwest University Park in just a few months.”
El Paso Locomotive FC’s team crest was also revealed. The centerpiece is a classic and commanding locomotive engine which includes 11 bars representing the team’s 11 players on the field who play together to defend and lead the team to victory.
The outline along the bottom portion of the crest pays homage to the region’s mission style architecture while the top half represents the Franklin Mountains.
The crest also includes a tribute to El Paso’s mountain star. The team colors are High Noon Sun (yellow), West Texas Sky (light blue) and Desert Dusk (navy).
The identity of El Paso Locomotive FC was brought to life by Brandiose, a design firm in San Diego. The firm has helped to successfully launch the identities of dozens of professional sports teams over the years, including the Tulsa Roughnecks FC, Reno 1868 FC, South Georgia Tormenta FC, FC Juarez, and the El Paso Chihuahuas.
“El Paso is one of the most passionate communities in America. It’s the center of North American transportation and has taken a leadership position in the future of sports entertainment,” said Jason Klein, Partner at Brandiose. “We worked hard to infuse the crest with the icons and spirit that is the cornerstone of the El Paso community.”
El Paso Locomotive FC will unveil their jersey for the 2019 season at a later date.
The team name reveal event also featured the unveiling of El Paso Locomotive FC merchandise and apparel. Shirts for men, women, and children, as well as an assortment of adjustable hats, were popular items available for purchase. Locomotive fans and supporters were quick to buy sweatshirts, tank tops, koozies, lanyards, water bottles, and keychains.
Immediately after the event revealing the new team name, El Paso Locomotive FC merchandise became available for purchase at the Team Store located adjacent to the Santa Fe Street Gate at Southwest University Park.
The store will be open until 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 4th. On Friday, October 5th, the team store will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Starting October 6th, the team store will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
El Paso Locomotive’s first game will be played in March of 2019 at Southwest University Park.
Season ticket membership, and group and hospitality information can be found online or by calling 915-235-GOAL. Tickets for all these products are now on sale.
Video+Photo gallery by Andres ‘Ace’ Acosta Chief Photographer, El Paso Herald-Post
El Paso USL head coach Mark Lowery message to the City of El Paso fans #GetOnThisTrain #jumpOnBoard El Paso Herald-Post #losphotogs #photosbyace #usl #elpasolocomotive #soccer #futbol USL ⚽️ 🚂
El Paso Herald-Post El Paso News & Opinion
