EL PASO, Texas – El Paso Locomotive FC’s U-20 team opened its 2024 USL Academy season in strong fashion, beating rivals New Mexico United 2-1 on the road last Saturday, marking the first time that the Locos beat New Mexico in the competition since joining the league in 2021.
“We wanted this win more than anything and the entire community of our U20 team is extremely proud,” Academy Director Ivan Militar said. “With this win, we start our 2024 campaign on the right foot and are ready for the next set of games!”
After going down 1-0 in the first half, the young Locos rallied back thanks to big goals from Luis Moreno and Alex Estrada. It’s a positive first step in a long journey towards clinching a second consecutive trip to the USL Academy League Finals, which the Locos managed to for the first time last season.
The U-20’s will be back on the road for their next league match on Friday, May 31 at Arizona Arsenal SC in Phoenix.
ABOUT THE LOCOMOTIVE ACADEMY
Founded in 2020, the Locomotive Academy was created to provide unrivaled competitive opportunities for youth players in the Borderplex region. The Academy fields seven teams between 13-19, including a fully funded U-20 USL Academy program, and competes in three youth leagues: the Elite Club National League (ECNL), USL Academy League and the El Paso Premier League (EPPL). Through its league competitions and participation at various tournaments and showcases throughout the year, the Academy strives to provide players with direct exposure to numerous college and scouts while playing against some of the strongest youth teams in the country.
In addition to working with numerous colleges across the country, the Academy also grants players a pathway to train and play alongside the Locomotive senior team, giving the young athletes an opportunity to learn and develop alongside professional athletes and coaches through USL Academy contracts, the only youth soccer organization in El Paso to offer such opportunities. To learn more about the Locomotive Academy, head to eplocomotivefc.com/youth-soccer.