El Paso Locomotive FC Look to Build Momentum against Orange County SC
USL El Paso Locomotive FC

El Paso Locomotive FC Look to Build Momentum against Orange County SC

Published on October 3, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
El Paso Locomotive FC News Release


EL PASO, Texas - El Paso Locomotive FC heads out west to face Orange County SC on Saturday, October 4 at 8 p.m. MT at Championship Soccer Stadium. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.

HOW TO WATCH EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC VS ORANGE COUNTY SC - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2025 @ 8:00 P.M. MT - CHAMPIONSHIP SOCCER STADIUM - IRVINE, CALIFORNIA

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

After a slow September, El Paso Locomotive FC hit the ground running on Wednesday afternoon with two goals in the opening five minutes en route to a 3-1 victory over Oakland Roots SC at Southwest University Park.

Amando Moreno tapped home a cross from Gabi Torres just 43 seconds into the match which was the fastest goal of the year for Locomotive and the second fastest in the USL Championship this season. Eric Calvillo also got on the scoresheet early to double the lead four minutes later. Moreno then tacked on his second goal in the 72nd minute to seal the deal and pick up a crucial three points to start the final month of the regular season.

Calvillo was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 30. As the club shifted to a midfield diamond against Rhode Island FC, he found success on the left side creating five chances including his first assist of the season on a set piece which found the head of Diaz to tie the match before halftime. He completed 29 of 34 passes while winning four duels and two fouls.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

F Amando Moreno: Locomotive forwards failed to score in the month of September, but Moreno started October with a bang with his second brace of the season. He currently sits at nine goals and four assists, both good for second for El Paso this season. His play on the left wing with Gabi Torres playing behind him in the midfield will be crucial for Los Locos to achieve their postseason aspirations.

M Gabi Torres: Torres has become an integral part of the Locomotive attack behind Moreno in the formation. He has tallied seven assists in league play which is tied for the club single season mark. When Torres records a goal or assist, Los Locos are undefeated at 6-0-2, so his presence will need to be felt down the stretch for El Paso to reach their postseason goals.

D Memo Diaz: In his return to El Paso, Diaz has done well the last two months in place of Alvaro Quezada at right back. He has been more involved in the attack recently including his first career goal for Locomotive last Friday. Him and Ricky Ruiz have morphed into true wing backs and will be called on to push forward in the coming matches.

OPPONENT INFO: Orange County SC

Things are all squared up between these two sides at 4-4-4 with the most prominent match between these two coming in the 2023 USL Championship Playoffs. Last season, Locomotive secured a 1-0 victory in southern California with a penalty from Eric Calvillo, the former Orange County man, serving as the difference in the match.

Orange County sit on the outside looking in of the Western Conference playoff picture in ninth place. The club is winless in their last seven matches, however, and has allowed two or more goals in five of them. Ethan Zubak (11 goals) and Christopher Hegardt (4 assists) will look to change that on Saturday night.

KEY LOCOMOTIVE STATISTICS

- Frank Daroma leads the Championship in passing accuracy (min. 150 passes) at 92.97% and passing accuracy in the opposing half at 90.04%.

- Los Locos have won the most fouls (471) and faced the fewest shots (229) in the USL Championship this season.

RECENT LOCOMOTIVE QUOTES

HC Wilmer Cabrera on getting back on track against Oakland:

"I'm really happy for our guys because we've been having different outcomes at home as of late. We've been conceding early and having to chase the game, but today was totally the opposite. We got two in the first five minutes, and that totally changes the game not only for us but for them. We needed these three points at home, and now, we're still in the fight for playoffs."

Cabrera on improvements on Wednesday from September:

"We have been dominating games in possession this season, but we were taking too many risks recently. We decided that we needed to take a little bit less risk eespecially in the back, and I think it paid off today. We have to carry that into the rest of October. These are playoff matches for us, but we're motivated with the result we got today. We can fight against any team at any place."

Amando Moreno on fast start against Oakland:

"Starting off with a goal got our team up and ready to go quickly. Towards the beginning of the season, that's kind of how we started most games, and then with these last four or five matches, we've just been unlucky with a lack of concentration. It's been tough for us, but we really didn't try to do anything different. We just needed to lock in and keep grinding down the stretch."

Gabi Torres on team focus heading into October:

"We've been trying to shift to a less-risk mentality. We just need to keep fighting for everything on the field. If we can build up from the back, we're going to find ways to get the ball forward and create the chances like we did today. We need to stay together and make sure the concentration level is as high as possible because from here to November, every match is a playoff match, and we still need results."

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