Tag Archives: el paso locomotive

El Paso Locomotive FC defeats Sacramento Republic 3-1 to launch six places into seventh place in the Western Conference.

“Jerome got another two tonight. That’s six in three matches for him. There aren’t really forwards at any level that can go on that type of run. Credit to Jerome coming here with the right mentality. If you have a happy number nine, that is a start,” said Coach Mark Lowry after tonight’s victory.

Calvin Rezende notched his first professional goal of his career and Jerome Kiesewetter grabbed his third brace in three consecutive games.

Calvin Rezende opened up his professional scoring account after a beautiful play that started in the Locomotive back third. Mechack Jérôme sent a thundering pass to Omar Salgado who took it towards the Sacramento goal.

Out of options, Salgado found Rezende at the top of the box and he let it rip into the bottom right of the Sacramento goal. Sacramento would end up scoring to bring things level at halftime.

El Paso came out in the second half with grit and tenacity, giving the Sacramento defense issues. The second goal of the night came off a Locomotive corner that, after some work, was put into the back by Kiesewetter. If history tells anything, he wouldn’t be finished there. In every match he has scored in, Kiesewetter has always scored two goals.

Tonight, was no different. Another booming pass from Jérôme found its way up into the attack and Edson Partida was there to receive it. After a few touches, Partida curled a ball into the box to find Kiesewetter, who went into the air to finish it with the outside of his right boot.

El Paso Locomotive FC plays their next match at home on June 8th against LA Galaxy II. Season Ticket Memberships, Group Tickets, and Individual Match Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 915-235-GOAL!

Gallery by Steve Zimmerman – El Paso Herald Post

Thursday morning, officials with El Paso Locomotive FC announced that the team had received FC Juárez midfielder Josué Aarón Gómez on loan, pending league and federation approval.

“We are very pleased with this signing as it signifies two major areas for us as a developing club.  One, we now have another quality, local talent who has played at an extremely high level in Mexico and can help us continue to win games in El Paso.  The second and equally important part of this signing is the continued unique relationship with our sister club, FC Juarez,” said Locomotive General Manager, Business Operations Andrew Forrest.

“Growing the game and showcasing the high-level talent we have in our collective region is imperative. This is a perfect example of how we can benefit one another as we both strive to be the best teams in our respective leagues.”

Gómez has appeared in 38 matches in the Ascenso MX and has acquired five goals. He also appeared in 15 Copa MX matches and netted two goals for the Bravos. “I am very happy to be with this club. I think it is going to be a challenge, but I can demonstrate my value as a player,” said Gómez.

This agreement strengthens and highlights the cross-border relationship between El Paso Locomotive and FC Juárez.

El Paso Locomotive FC plays their next match at home on Sunday, May 12^th against rival New Mexico United. Season Ticket Memberships, Group Tickets, and Individual Match Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 915-235-GOAL!

Southwest University Park, home of the El Paso Chihuahuas and the El Paso Locomotive FC, has partnered with KultureCity to be a certified sensory inclusive venue during all baseball, soccer and special events beginning with the Chihuahuas eight-game homestand on Friday, May 3^rd.

This new initiative will assist in accommodating all patrons who visit the ballpark that have sensory challenges.

All Chihuahuas and Locomotive full-time staff members, as well as gameday staff, are now certified and trained to recognize guests and fans with sensory needs and are prepared to accommodate those who require assistance in an overload situation.

“We are proud to make Southwest University Park even more welcoming for everyone in our community by making it the region’s first certified sensory inclusive sports and entertainment venue,” said MountainStar Sports Group Senior Vice President and General Manager Brad Taylor.

As part of the certification process, sensory bags, equipped with noise canceling headphones, fidget tools, verbal cue cards and weighted lap pads will be available to all guests at Southwest University Park who may feel overwhelmed by the environment. These bags can be checked-out at Guest Services located at Section 112.

Patrons who require a quiet and secure environment are asked to visit Guest Services for the designated location.

According to KultureCity, sensitivities or challenges with sensory regulation are often experienced by individuals with autism, dementia, PTSD and other similar conditions. One of the major barriers for these individuals is sensitivity to over stimulation and noise, which is an enormous part of the environment in large venues.

With its new certification, Southwest University Park is now better prepared to assist guests with sensory sensitivities in having the most comfortable and accommodating experience possible when attending any event at the ballpark.

“To know that you soon will be able to see families attend a baseball game or a soccer game, a true community binding experience, with their loved ones who have a sensory challenge and who were not able to previously attend, is truly a heartwarming moment,” said Dr. Julian Maha, Co-Founder, KultureCity.

“Our communities are what shapes our lives and to know that MountainStar Sports Group and Southwest University Park is willing to go the extra mile to ensure that everyone, no matter their ability, is included in their community is amazing.”

KultureCity is a leading non-profit recognized nationwide for using their resources to revolutionize and effect change in the community for those with sensory needs; not just those with Autism.

Since the program’s inception, KultureCity has created over 200 sensory inclusive venues in three countries; this includes special events such as: NFL Pro-Bowl, NFL Super Bowl, and MLB All-Star Weekend.

For more information on KultureCity and sensory inclusion, visit their website.

The Chihuahuas return to the ballpark to face Salt Lake and Albuquerque in an eight-game homestand starting on Friday, May 3^rd. The homestand features a fireworks spectacular on Saturday, May 4^th and the first El Paso Margaritas game on Sunday, May 5^th!

Tickets are available starting at $5.  Purchasers who buy in advance will enjoy savings ranging from $2.00 – $3.00 per ticket on reserved seating versus purchasing on the day of the game.

Tickets can be purchased at the Southwest University Park box offices, online or by calling (915) 533-BASE. The Durango & Santa Fe Box Offices will be open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and 30 minutes postgame on gamedays.

El Paso Locomotive FC traveled to the capital and came away with one point after a 0-0 draw against Austin Bold FC.

Jerome Kiesewetter made his second career start with Locomotive. The German-born American came into the El Paso camp four weeks ago.

El Paso native Louis “Chapa” Herrera saw his second appearance in a Locomotive uniform when he stepped on the pitch in the 75^th minute, relieving midfielder Sebastian Contreras.

This match represented the second game for El Paso Locomotive in the Copa Tejas, the supporter’s driven cup amongst the four USL Championship Clubs; Austin Bold, El Paso Locomotive FC, Rio Grande Valley FC, and San Antonio FC. El Paso has tied with both of the Texas teams they have faced thus far in their 2019 campaign.

“We had some great cances that we didn’t capitalize on in both halves and those two offsides goals were very close … Austin are a very good team and it was a very good point here for us on the road,” said Head Coach Mark Lowry.

El Paso has yet to concede a goal when they play away from home.

El Paso Locomotive FC plays their next match at home on Saturday, April 27^th against Reno 1868 FC. Season Ticket Memberships, Group Tickets, and Individual Match Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 915-235-GOAL!

Saturday night, El Paso Locomotive FC won their first match in the franchise’s history at home. At the end of 90 minutes, El Paso came out with a dominating 2-0 victory over Orange County SC.

In the first half, El Paso Locomotive FC sent three shots at the Orange County keeper, took five corner kicks and maintained an 81.8 percent passing rate.

El Paso was knocking at the door of OC, looking for the magic moment and keeping the pressure high. In the 41st minute, midfielder Edson Partida took to the pitch and closed out the half completing 100 percent of his passes.

As soon as the whistle blew, El Paso Locomotive came onto the pitch in the second half with the same intensity as the first with multiple chances created. Salgado hammered down on the Orange County right line and was getting looks on goal, hungry to add a point to his name.

In the 64th minute, El Paso took the lead when Salgado’s shot on goal was deflected, and Partida scooped it up and sent it into the back of the net. Partida wasn’t finished there, in the 88th minute with a perfectly placed assist from Sebastian Contreras, Partida collected the ball at the top of the box and took a few touches in before sending it home and running over to celebrate with the 8th Notch (El Paso Locomotive FC supporter group) who were electric.

“I am really happy we were able to give this win to the city of El Paso; it feels amazing. It is what I have been wishing for since I signed here to play for my hometown,” said Salgado.

“Getting the first win in history feels great and getting it at home feels even better. We are going to continue to work hard and push for more,” said Partida who was also named Estrella of the Match.

El Paso Locomotive FC plays their next match at home on Saturday, April 13th against Phoenix Rising FC.  Season Ticket Memberships, Group Tickets, and Individual Match Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 915-235-GOAL!

Photo gallery by Johnny Yturales, Staff Photographer, El Paso Herald Post

El Paso Locomotive FC draws against Rio Grande Valley FC in the two clubs first meeting of the 2019 USL Championship season.

The Locomotive came out knocking, having good looks on goal early on in the match. They kept up the pressure and maintained 62.1 percent of the possession in the first half. El Paso took the first lead of the match in the 45th minute.

In the waning seconds of the half, Nick Ross sent a screamer through a defender’s legs and curled the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal. The 1-0 lead would send things into halftime.

Locomotive kept the energy high in the second half. Nick Ross wasn’t done adding his name to the stat sheet. In the 77th minute, he glanced a ball across the goal, and it found the foot of Derek Gebhard who put it into the empty net. This is now Gebhard’s second goal of the season and his second time being named Estrella of the Match.

Shortly after the Gebhard goal to put Locomotive up two, Rio Grande Valley answered with one of their own. A rocket of a shot by Romilio Hernandez went into the back of the goal in the 78th minute to cut the lead in half. Rio Grande Valley ended up grabbing one more goal in the final minutes of the match to bring score level.

This match kicked off COPA Tejas, the supporter crafted Texas Derby between the four Texas USL Championship clubs; Austin Bold FC, El Paso Locomotive FC, Rio Grande Valley FC, and San Antonio FC.

After getting one point at home forward Derek Gebhard said, “It is all 11 of us out there, we defend as a team. We will go back to look at the video and see what mistakes we made and go from there.”

Gallery by Andres ‘Ace’ Acosta – Chief Photographer – El Paso Herald Post

HERRIMAN, Utah – El Paso Locomotive FC traveled to Salt Lake City in their first road match of their inaugural 2019 USL Championship season. Locomotive came away with a draw and one point in the 0-0 result.

The first half saw El Paso Locomotive implement their high-possession game plan and brought with it a few good looks.

Forward Derek Gebhard had a breakaway in the 32nd minute with just the keeper to beat but was fouled from behind, which resulted in a Real Monarchs red card. Monarchs proceeded to play a man down for the remainder of the match.

A late substitute in the 69th minute saw midfielder Joshua Castellanos come onto the pitch. With 20 minutes of gameplay he registered three shots. A few late scoring opportunities in the waning minutes were cause for alarm for Real Monarchs but goalkeeper David Ochoa kept it level on a curled shot from Castellanos and a header from Defender Bryam Rebellon.

El Paso maintained 63.8 percent possession across the match and boasted an 86.8 percent passing accuracy (584 passes completed). Chiro Ntoko led the team in passing accuracy at 97.4 percent.

El Paso Locomotive FC plays their next match at home on Saturday, March 23rd. Good tickets remain for upcoming matches including the Saturday, March 23rd game vs. regional rival Rio Grande Valley FC and the Saturday, March 30th match against Orange County SC.

Season Ticket Memberships, Group Tickets, and Individual Match Tickets can be purchased

online or by calling 915-235-GOAL!

SAN ANTONIO – Supporter of San Antonio FC have formed Copa Tejas to be awarded at the end of the 2019 USL Championship regular season to the Texas team with the best head-to-head record among the four clubs, organizers announced.

 The Four teams – SAFC, Austin Bold FC, Rio Grande Valley Toros, and El Paso Locomotive FC – will be competing for Copa Tejas during home-and-away matchups, starting March 23 when RGV visits El Paso for the first-ever game in the trophy’s series.

The following Saturday, March 30, SAFC will travel to Austin for the first-ever meeting between those two clubs.

Copa Tejas’ format will be similar to the Cascadia Cup and the head-to-head competition between MLS teams Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver. Points will be earned during the regular season – three for a victory, one for a draw and no points for a loss.

The team that accumulates the most points during the regular USL season, excluding possible U.S. Open matchups and playoffs, will be awarded the trophy in October and will keep it and bragging rights for a year, If a tiebreaker is necessary, it will be determined from goal differentials and other criteria.

SAFC’s supporters groups, including Mission City Firm the Crocketteers and 210 Alliance, will be coordinating with supporters of the other three Texas teams to make the first-year trophy run a memorable one. Copa Tejas Organizers and SAFC supporters Steve Arters and Danielle Gawronski will coordinate between all the supporters groups and handle the trophy’s administration.

“The timing is perfect for Copa Tejas and it’s going to give matches between the Texas teams an added edge right away, not only on the field but in the stands between all the supporters and fans,” said Copa Tejas organizer Steve Arters.

Organizer Danielle Gawronski added she couldn’t wait to see how the team’s supporters are going to have “fun developing the rivalries. Now the so-called state champion receives a trophy to signify a great accomplishment and that team’s supporters can celebrate with bragging rights,” she said.

While Copa Tejas will encourage fierce competition on and off the pitch, it also encourages camaraderie between the various supporters groups across Texas. SAFC supporters, known for their large, loud and entertaining tailgates, will invite visiting supporters to party with them prior to home games in San Antonio and be looking to join other supporters’ tailgates when traveling with SAFC.

To learn more, please visit www.copatejas.com

Tuesday afternoon, El Paso Locomotive FC signed 25-year-old goalkeeper, Jermaine Fordah, pending league and federation approval.

“Jermaine has earned his way into the squad, from attending Invitational tryouts and then performing well during preseason. On the field he will be a great back up to Logan and will work hard every day to make our goalkeeper department a strong one,” said Head Coach Mark Lowry.

“In the locker room, his personality shines through and he brings a positive energy into the group which will be valuable throughout the season.”

Fordah was invited to attend the invitational tryouts in early December and impressed the coaching staff with his skill between the posts. He was extended an opportunity to participate as a trialist for preseason and extended his time with his stellar performance. After three weeks, he was offered a contract for the 2019 season.

Fordah was born in London, England and trained with the U23 side of English Premier League club, West Ham United for the 2016 and 2017 season.

Fordah most recently played with U.S. club, New York Cosmos B in the National Premier Soccer League.

The historic inaugural home opener takes place on Saturday, March 9th against OKC Energy FC! Season Ticket Memberships, Group Tickets, and Individual Match Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 915-235-GOAL.

On Monday, officials with El Paso Locomotive FC announced the signing of 26-year-old defender Andrew Fox, pending league and federation approval.

“Andrew is a high-level defender. He has a lot of experience in very difficult leagues and will be a great addition to our defensive unit,” said Head Coach Mark Lowry. “He is strong, has a great left foot and can play left back, left center back or on the left of a three. His arrival gives us good options tactically and strengthens our group as we push on through our pre-season and head into league play.”

Fox has seen stints with Peterborough United, Stevenage, and Grimsby Town in his home country of England. He also played the 2017 season with Swedish top tier squad, AFC Eskilstuna and made 13 appearances. He comes to El Paso Locomotive FC from his most recent club, Grimsby Town.

Fox is a dynamic player who has played in defensive and midfield roles throughout his career. He spent four years playing collegiate soccer in the United States with St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.

In his time with the Hilltoppers, Fox made 63 appearances and tallied 36 goals as a midfielder.

The historic inaugural home opener takes place on Saturday, March 9^th against OKC Energy FC! Season Ticket Memberships, Group Tickets, and Individual Match Tickets can be purchased at online or by calling 915-235-GOAL

El Paso Locomotive FC added another crew member on Wednesday, this time signing defender James Kiffe, pending league and federation approval.

“To have the opportunity to bring in a player of James’ caliber and experience is going to serve our group well over the course of the season. He has a lot of USL appearances, and was a key figure in a Sacramento team that not long ago were the best team in the league,” said Head Coach Mark Lowry.

“He is a winner, and he has a desire to win more things, which fits in perfectly with the characters we already have here.”

Kiffe has over 100 appearances in the USL Championship across Sacramento Republic, Reno 1868 and Charlotte Independence. Kiffe won the USL Championship with Sacramento where he recorded two assists in the playoffs, one of those coming in the championship match.

In 2017 he was named to the USL All League Second Team and was in the running for “Defender of the Year.” Kiffe held a 75.6 percent tackle success rate and a 79.5 percent pass success rate in the 2017 season, registering a career-high six assists in the regular season.

Kiffe played his collegiate soccer career with the University of California Santa Barbara from 2009-2011. While attending university, he played with Ventura County Fusion, formerly of the PDL now a member of USL League 2.

Kiffe played with Fusion from 2011-2014, before signing with Sacramento Republic.

The inaugural home opener takes place on Saturday, March 9th against OKC Energy FC! Season Ticket Memberships, Group Tickets, and Individual Match Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 915-235-GOAL.