Los Locos to Start Fourth USL Championship Campaign on the Road
El Paso Locomotive FC (0-0-0, 0 points, West-2) starts its fourth season in the USL Championship with a road match against Sacramento Republic SC (0-0-0, 0 points, West-11) on Saturday, March 12. Kickoff from Heart Health Park in Sacramento, California is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. MT and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Fans are encouraged to join Locomotive at its official watch party hosted at the Union Drafthouse at Cimarron Plaza to help cheer on the Locos in their first game of the season.
After three successful campaigns through the USL Championship, the Locos return to action for the first time since the 2021 Western Conference Quarterfinals. Saturday’s contest against Sacramento Republic SC will be Head Coach John Hutchinson’s first at the helm, having joined the club in December. Under his tutelage, El Paso Locomotive will feature five players who have been with the club since the 2019 inaugural season and 10 new faces to make their Locomotive debut. With a new system and new faces entering the season, El Paso Locomotive FC will look to improve its 0-1-2 season opener record against a team it has yet to lose points to with a fresh brand of exciting soccer.
After four matches, including their meeting in the 2019 Western Conference Semifinals, El Paso Locomotive leads the all-time record against Sacramento Republic FC, 4-0-0. The last time the two sides clashed was in September, where El Paso claimed an emphatic 2-0 victory at Southwest University Park. Since that meeting, Sacramento Republic has fine-tuned its squad, acquiring former Locomotive midfielder Nick Ross, as well as 2019 USL Championship title-winner Douglas Martinez, among others. After wrapping up preseason, both sides are eager to kick off the new season on the right foot when Locomotive meets with Sacramento Republic for the first time in California in two years.
El Paso Locomotive FC will return to Southwest University Park on Saturday, March 19 for its Home Opener against New Mexico United. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. MT and will be highlighted by a post-game fireworks show and a flag giveaway to the first 3,000 fans into the stadium when gates open at 4:00 p.m. MT. Tickets are available online at eplocomotivefc.com or by calling 915-235-GOAL.
El Paso Locomotive FC at Sacramento Republic FC – Sat. March 12, 2022
Venue: Heart Health Park; Sacramento, California
Forecast: 72F and clear skies
Watch: ESPN+ | Coverage begins at 8:00 p.m. MT
Watch Party: The Union Drafthouse (7470 Cimarron Plz, El Paso, TX 79911)
Social Media: @EPLocomotiveFC & #SACvELP on Twitter
Additional Content: Official El Paso Locomotive FC App (iOS / Android)