El Paso Locomotive FC Continue Eastern Conference Slate against North Carolina FC
USL El Paso Locomotive FC

El Paso Locomotive FC Continue Eastern Conference Slate against North Carolina FC

Published on September 11, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
El Paso Locomotive FC News Release


EL PASO, Texas - El Paso Locomotive FC head east for a clash against North Carolina FC on Friday, September 12 at 5 p.m. MT at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.

HOW TO WATCH EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC VS NORTH CAROLINA FC - FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 @ 5:00 P.M. MT - FIRST HORIZON STADIUM AT WAKEMED SOCCER PARK - CARY, NORTH CAROLINA

Watch: ESPN+

Be sure to follow @eplocomotivefc on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for live updates of the match. Additionally, fans are encouraged to download the team's official mobile app on the Apple App Store or Google Play for instant access to mobile tickets, team content and match notifications.

KEY STORYLINES

El Paso Locomotive FC were unable to overcome two early goals from Loudoun United FC in a 2-1 defeat on Saturday night at Southwest University Park.

The visitors scored two goals in the opening 12 minutes to force El Paso to chase for the rest of the match. Despite several scoring chances in the second half including a header from Palermo Ortiz, the hosts were unable to claw back into this one.

Gabi Torres has been nominated for the USL Championship Player of the Month award in August. He helped lead Locomotive to an unbeaten month in league play while also recording two goals and two assists which gave him the club single season record.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

F Andy Cabrera: Locomotive fans were excited to see Cabrera back in the squad this past weekend. After dealing with a hamstring injury suffered on August 9, he entered Saturday's match as a late sub tallying 13 minutes. The leading goalscorer for Los Locos is expected to ease back into things these next few weeks but will be an important piece with playoffs just around the corner.

D Ricky Ruiz: Ruiz has been a staple at left back for Locomotive this season but has come alive offensively these past two weeks tallying a goal and two assists. The trio of Ruiz, Gabi Torres and Amando Moreno has made some noise as of late with 48.9 percent of Los Locos' threats in the final third on Saturday coming down that left-hand side.

G Jahmali Waite: Waite returns from starting two matches with the Jamaican national team in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying. He recorded two shutouts and five saves over the weekend to cement his country's spot atop Group B and push them closer to a World Cup bid next summer. Waite has allowed just two goals in his previous five starts for Locomotive as he hopes to build on this success in the final stretch of the regular season.

OPPONENT INFO: North Carolina FC

Los Locos won their only meeting with North Carolina FC last season in El Paso on a late penalty from Joaquin Rivas in the 90th minute. This will be Locomotive's first trip to WakeMed Soccer Park in club history.

North Carolina FC sits fourth in the Eastern Conference with a resume similar to that of El Paso. Their offense has been rampant at times with the likes of Pedro Dolabella and Michael Maldonado leading the charge. However, their back line has been succeptible at times leading to a near-even split of wins and losses this season. North Carolina has finished out halves very strong this season with 20 of their 34 goals this season coming in the final 15 minutes of each frame, including 12 to end the first half, the most in the league.

KEY LOCOMOTIVE STATISTICS

- Gabi Torres set a club single season record with his ninth assist across all competitions.

- Frank Daroma leads the Championship in passing accuracy (min. 150 passes) at 92.51%.

- Los Locos have won the most fouls (408) and faced the fewest shots (189) in the USL Championship this season.

RECENT LOCOMOTIVE QUOTES

HC Wilmer Cabrera on pressure given tight West table:

"There is pressure and has to be because if you win, you maintain your position. If you lose, you go backsix or seven positions in the Western Conference. It's a lot of pressure, but it's a lot of pressure for all of us. I think it's just making us feel that the playoffs are getting closer and that each game is really important. Each point counts and is very valuable."

Cabrera on playing all Eastern Conference teams in September:

"It's important for us to go out and get the results ourselves. We have four games left here at home. If we get those results, we're going to be able to reach the playoffs, and that's the goal. Our preparation is good, the mentality is good and now, it's up to us on the field that we keep performing well. We just need to not drop the concentration or intensity down the stretch."

Ricky Ruiz on loss against Loudoun United FC:

"Our performance wasn't good enough. Those first two goals came quick. We had a lack of concentration which cannot happen. We have to stay focused individually and do better as a team. After those mistakes, we held the ball well, but we can't put ourselves in those positions."

Beto Avila on team mentality moving forward:

"From now on, every minute of every match is going to get tougher. We're getting close to the playoffs, and everybody is very close to each other. We are in a playoff mentality. Everyone is going to be fighting, and we want our first game to be at home."

Check out the El Paso Locomotive FC Statistics

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 11, 2025


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