EL PASO, Texas – El Paso Locomotive FC (1-West, 9-3-3, 30 points) are set to host its biggest rival, New Mexico United, this Saturday at Southwest University Park for the second edition of the 2023 Derby Del Camino Real.
HOW TO WATCH EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC VS NEW MEXICO UNITED – SATURDAY, JULY 1, 2023 @ 7:30 P.M. MT – SOUTHWEST UNIVERSITY PARK
Stream: ESPN+
Watch: KTSM.com, Estrella TV 9.2
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.
ALL-TIME SERIES
El Paso Locomotive currently lead the all-time series 4-3-7 across all competitions, 4-3-6 in the regular season. Los Locos bested the Black & Yellow 1-0 in the first meeting of 2023 last month thanks to a header from midfielder Denys Kostyshyn. That win was the second consecutive time that Los Locos picked up three points at Isotopes Park. El Paso will want to extend that streak and get the 2023 sweep against New Mexico at home.
EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC (2ND WESTERN CONFERENCE, 9-3-3, 30 PTS)
Sitting on a single season club record 12-games undefeated run, Locomotive come into Saturday’s contest determined to not let their rivals snap the streak.
As previously mentioned, Kostyshyn scored the crucial goal that silenced the New Mexico faithful in the last meeting between the two teams. In his first ever Derby Del Camino Real, the Ukrainian midfielder put in an absolute shift. He posted El Paso’s highest xG at 0.65, was joint-third on shots taken (4), won the most duels (8) and recovered possession of the ball 10 times, more than any other Locomotive player. Not to mention, he’s contributed at least one goal in three of the last four matches (two goals, one assist). Another big performance from Kostyshyn could help make the difference.
At the other end stands goalkeeper Benny Diaz. In the Western Conference, he’s joint-third in clean sheets (5) and fourth in saves (42) – ahead of New Mexico’s Alex Tambakis who sits in fifth with 34. Additionally, Diaz has a save percentage of 74.19, the fourth highest in the US, and has contributed to the team’s 17.29 xGA, which is fifth lowest in the league. He also posted a season-high of five saves in both games in Week 15. Diaz will look to pick up a sixth clean sheet against New Mexico, the last team he recorded a clean sheet against.
NEW MEXICO UNITED (11TH WESTERN CONFERENCE, 5-7-3, 18 PTS)
Following the departure of former head coach Zach Prince after the 1-0 loss to El Paso, New Mexico United have now been under the helm of Eric Quill. Since the 2-2 draw in his debut against Rio Grande Valley, Quill has posted one loss (3-1 vs Phoenix) and one win (2-1 vs Colorado Springs), the win ending a three-game losing streak.
United will come into this weekend’s contest looking to turn things around for their season.
ADDITIONAL INFO
The full 2023 regular season match schedule can be found HERE. All USL Championship regular season and playoff games will be available to stream on ESPN+ in 2023. All Saturday home games will be simulcast on KTSM.com and Estrella TV 9.2 (Cable 1244).
All tickets for 2023, including Individual Match, Season Tickets and Pick Six Membership are on sale now and are available for purchase online at eplocomotivefc.com/tickets, within the official mobile app, calling (915) 235-GOAL or texting (915) 666-2005. You can also call (915) 235-GOAL for more information on Group Outings and Premium Suites. El Paso Locomotive FC does offer military discounts, which can be purchased HERE.
To check out the 2023 promotional schedule, click HERE.
In need of gear to rep your Locomotive and El Paso pride year-round? Visit the official El Paso Locomotive FC Team Shop online HERE, in the team’s official mobile app or visit the physical retail store (1 Ballpark Plaza, El Paso, TX 79901) Monday through Saturday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.