Hunger and drive sat heavy in the air. The sun was peaking over the horizon as the men stretched and laced up their boots. 114 of them arrived with one common goal; make their dreams of playing professional soccer a reality. Last Saturday (December 1), El Paso Locomotive FC held their first open tryout with the goal of finding a local and perhaps missing component of the team that they would field in their inaugural 2019 season. The pitches were filled with men from around the Borderplex region and beyond, hopeful to catch the eye of the coaching staff. Play was as fierce and strong as the players on the field.
After two days of competition, 12 players received an invite to the invitational tryout which will be comprised of elite professional athletes from around the country. Out of those 12, ten are from El Paso; an ode to the high-level of soccer this region produces, as head coach Mark Lowry put it, “With the players we have already signed for the Locomotive FC team, and the high-level performance we will have on the field this season, I thought it was going to be extremely difficult for any player to be selected. I was pleasantly surprised with the talent at the event.”
The 12 men that will be joining the invitational tryout will be competing with seasoned professionals who are all gunning for limited spots on Lowry’s roster. Prior to last Saturday’s (December 1) open tryout, a select few local players piqued the interest of the coaching staff and were so impressive that they received a straight invite to this Saturday. El Paso has talent. We have grit and drive. Something about growing up in the desert changes us. We are hungrier and willing to dig deep. The people who comprise this region don’t shy away from sweating brows and backbreaking work. These attributes are evident and will be on display this weekend and in the season to come.