EL PASO, Texas – El Paso Locomotive FC are on the “hunt” for its first ever win in the storied Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, April 5, scheduled to face off against USL League One side Union Omaha at Morrison Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska. Kick-off is set for 6 p.m. MT.
HOW TO WATCH EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC @ UNION OMAHA – WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2023 @ 6 P.M. MT – MORRISON STADIUM
Fans can tune into the match via El Paso Locomotive’s official YouTube channel here or Facebook page here.
EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC (USL CHAMPIONSHIP, 7TH WESTERN CONFERENCE, 1-3-1, 4 PTS)
Head Coach and Technical Director Brian Clarhaut will look to become the first coach in Locomotive history to record a win in the historic tournament and lead the club to the third round for the first time ever.
As Clarhaut previously mentioned when Omaha was revealed to be Locomotive’s Open Cup opponent, he is “excited about competing in such a historic competition” and looks forward to “a highly competitive game.”
This will be the first ever meeting between El Paso Locomotive and Union Omaha. The Owls will become the third ever USL League One side that Locomotive face in official competition.
El Paso is 0-2-0 in Open Cup matches. Both losses came against USL League One sides (Forward Madsion, 2019) and (Central Valley Fuego FC, 2022). However, with the slight bit of momentum that El Paso has picked up in its last two regular season games, Clarhaut will want to make a statement in the tournament.
Historically, the Open Cup has been a great competition for new and younger players to make their official Locomotive debuts and get some valuable minutes with the club. With an opportunity to make club history against Omaha, fans should expect these players to put up a fight when they’re given the chance to step onto the field.
UNION OMAHA (USL LEAGUE ONE, 9TH, 0-0-1, 1 PT)
Union Omaha, a USL League One power now led by former Locomotive assistant coach Dominic Casciato, are set to go up against El Paso for what is only their second official match of 2023, after their league match at One Knoxville SC last weekend was postponed due to travel delays.
Since making their league debut in 2020, Omaha won both the regular season and league title in 2021 and became the first League One side to make it to the 2022 Open Cup Round of 16, knocking out Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire FC and Minnesota United FC along the way before eventually going out 6-0 to Sporting Kansas City in the quarterfinals.
Although Omaha transferred 2022 League One Young Player of the Year nominee Ryen Jiba to Minnesota United for a league record fee, they still have a reliable group of veterans in JP Scearce, Rashid Nuhu and Conor Doyle along with newcomers in veteran USL Championship goal scorer Steevan Dos Santos, former U.S. youth national team star Joe Gallardo and USL Championship-winning and Comoros international defender Alexis Souahy.
ABOUT THE U.S. OPEN CUP
The nation’s largest and oldest soccer tournament, now in its 108th edition, is open to any team, professional and amateur, and has crowned a champion every year since 1914 except for 2020 and 2021. The opening rounds are primarily made up of top amateur and semi-pro teams who’ve battled through five qualifying rounds to clinch a spot in the Open Cup proper. In the second round, teams from the USL Championship, USL League One, National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) and MLS Next Pro enter to face each other and winners of the first round. Those that advance from the second round move to the third round where clubs from Major League Soccer enter, providing clubs from lower divisions a unique opportunity to test themselves against top division teams.
The 2023 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn $300,000 in prize money, a berth in the 2024 Concacaf Champions League and have its name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy – one of the oldest nationally-contested trophies in American team sports – now on permanent display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas. The runner-up will earn $100,000, while the team that advances the furthest from each lower division will take home a $25,000 cash prize.
UP NEXT: Saturday, April 8 vs Orange County SC. Kickoff 7:30 p.m. MT @ Southwest University Park, gates open at 6:30 p.m. MT. Purchase tickets here. Locomotive return home after a three-game road trip and will be giving away bucket hats to the first 1,500 fans who enter the stadium!
ON THE HORIZON: Saturday, April 22 vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. Kickoff 7:30 p.m. MT @ Southwest University Park, gates open at 6:30 p.m. MT. Purchase tickets here. Locomotive invites fans to come celebrate Earth Day for its match against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and enjoy a fun and educational night spotlighting sustainability practices!
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 or within the official mobile app.
Fans who would like to secure full season tickets for the 2023 season can lock in their season ticket membership online by clicking HERE, 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 full 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.