El Paso Locomotive FC Face Defending Champions for Third Time in Three Months

Sports stats



USL El Paso Locomotive FC

El Paso Locomotive FC Face Defending Champions for Third Time in Three Months

May 30, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
El Paso Locomotive FC News Release


EL PASO, Texas - El Paso Locomotive FC continue USL Jägermeister Cup play as they host Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on May 31 at 7 p.m. at Southwest University Park. The match will be streamed on ESPN+ and KVIA.com.

HOW TO WATCH EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC VS COLORADO SPRINGS SWITCHBACKS FC - SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2025 @ 7:00 P.M. MT - SOUTHWEST UNIVERSITY PARK - EL PASO, TEXAS

Watch: ESPN+, KVIA.com

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

Andy Cabrera continued his scoring ways bagging a pair of goals to lead El Paso Locomotive FC to a 2-1 road win over Las Vegas Lights FC on Saturday night at Cashman Field. Cabrera pushed his monthly total to six goals and his league total to nine as he carried on his recent offensive prowess. Frank Daroma and Beto Avila each chipped in their third assists in league play this season which creates a four-way tie atop the Locomotive leaderboard.

Cabrera was selected as the USL Championship Player of the Week for Week 12 after his brace last weekend. Daroma, Avila and Ricky Ruiz also earned nods to the Team of the Week after standout performances in the 2-1 comeback victory.

Locomotive will be without two key players for most of June during the international window. Jahmali Waite (Jamaica) and Noah Dollenmayer (Dominican Republic) each have been called up for the final matches of the second round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying and the Gold Cup.

NEW CUP, NEW RULES

This is the second year of the USL Jägermeister Cup after it launched last season in USL League One. Teams were geographically split into six groups that feature six or seven teams. Every club will play four matches, two home and two away. These matches have been built into the regular season schedule which has now been condensed from 34 to 30 matches.

The six group winners advance to the knockout round beginning on August 20. The last two spots in that quarterfinal round will be awarded to the highest scoring teams in group play.

Unlike regular season matches, Jägermeister Cup matches will not end without a victor. If tied after 90 minutes, the match will go to a penalty shootout which promises more excitement to the tournament. Points will be awarded as follows: win - 3 points, penalty win - 2 points, penalty loss - 1 point, loss - 0 points.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

F Andy Cabrera: Cabrera has been on fire as of late with his pair of goals on Saturday bringing his monthly total to six and his yearly total to nine, good for second in the USL Championship Golden Boot race. His header in the first half leveled things up while his quick heel flick to win the match is a Goal of the Week nominee.

M Frank Daroma: A key component of Locomotive's recent success, Daroma's impact has been felt on both sides of the field. He won eight of his nine duels on Saturday night while also creating five scoring chances for Los Locos. His assist in the first half was coupled with some shifty footwork that gave him space to cross in a ball that found the head of Cabrera to tie things up before the break.

G Sebastian Mora-Mora: With Jahmali Waite absent for the next month with the Jamaican national team, Mora-Mora will be called on to handle goalkeeping duties for Los Locos as the club looks to continue its early season success. He has started six games this season with a pair of shutouts and two penalty shootout victories, the most notable being against New Mexico United in the U.S. Open Cup.

OPPONENT INFO: Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

El Paso leads the all-time series with Colorado Springs, 7-3-9, with this being the third matchup between these two already this season. This includes a 5-2-3 record at Southwest University Park. This will be the first non-regular season match in this series.

Last time these two sides faced off in El Paso, Locomotive fought back not once but twice to secure a 2-2 draw against the defending USL champions in their home opener. Late match heroics from Andy Cabrera helped the team capture a point to start the season for the first time since 2021 while Amando Moreno opened the scoring for Los Locos for the second consecutive season.

COS enter the match in tenth place in the Western Conference after winning the USL Championship last season. Former Locomotive forward Justin Dhillon leads the club with five goals in the USL Championship this season, but inconsistencies in net have held back the visitors this season.

KEY LOCOMOTIVE STATISTICS

- Last Saturday's win against Las Vegas was El Paso's first comeback victory since September 30, 2023 in a 3-2 victory over Charleston Battery.

- Locomotive are undefeated at home this season (4W-0L-2D).

- Locomotive have scored five goals in the first 15 minutes and six goals in the final 15 minutes of the first half, both tied for the most in the USL Championship this season.

- Gabi Torres leads the league with 19 interceptions.

- Los Locos have won the most fouls in the USL Championship this season (188).

RECENT LOCOMOTIVE QUOTES

HC Wilmer Cabrera on team performance in Las Vegas:

"It was definitely a tough game. The field conditions were rough, so we needed to adapt quickly. They took advantage early, but we didn't lose control. I think it was important that we got settled in, created chances and ultimately controlled the game most of the time. We still need to improve the little details, but it's important to be where we are at in the Western Conference. Things are working well for us."

Cabrera on his first full year with the club:

"It's been challenging, but the most important thing is that the group that brought me here has been patient. They've been supporting me with the tools that I need and helped bring the right players to the club. We continue to take on an identity. I think that when you say Locomotive, people know that we're a team that treats the ball well, attacks, generates danger and is finding a good form. It looks like right now everything is fine, but we still have a lot of games in front of us. The job is not done yet, and we're just getting started."

Gabi Torres on club's recent success:

"We're riding high right now, but we need to stay down to earth. I think the most important thing right now is to keep working hard and stay humble. It's been a successful month, but we'll have to work even harder to maintain this level of play."

Torres on team approach for USL Jägermeister Cup:

"It's business as usual for us. We need to win. We want to be a successful team, and I think we're on the right path, but if we want to keep going, we need to prove ourselves every week, especially at home in front of our fans. They're going to come and support us, so we need to give them a good spectacle."

Check out the El Paso Locomotive FC Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 30, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central