Quote Sheet

El Paso Locomotive FC 1-1 Phoenix Rising FC
Southwest University Park; El Paso, Texas
Saturday, June 1, 2024

El Paso Locomotive FC Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera
On the draw:
“We are upset we did not get the three points at home but overall, as a head coach and working with the guys, I see a little bit more solid team defensively. We’re more difficult to score against. In fairness, four points in two games is okay. Now we need to go to Oakland and get a good result because if not, it doesn’t matter.”

On the team’s aggression:
“So today we fought, today we challenged, today we tackled, today it was difficult for a very good team to penetrate. That means everyone was solid and we need to add that a little bit more quality because we have those type of players.”

El Paso Locomotive FC Captain Midfielder Eric Calvillo
On the team’s performance vs Phoenix:
“Tonight, we didn’t play our very best and we still came out with a tie, almost a victory. That shows a lot, that we grind and that even at our worst, we can beat any team. Now imagine us at our best, how differently this could have been and we could’ve easily gotten three points.”

On his goal:
“That’s textbook. It’s what coaches always tell you, don’t just admire your pass. Continue the run and who knows, maybe the ball falls right to you and you can finish. I was lucky enough to get the opportunity.”

On the team under Wilmer’s direction:
““Everybody’s adjusting the way I expected. New coach, new rules, new opportunities. A lot of the guys are demonstrating and trying to work hard to show that they should play or start. It is a big change of course… it’s been a lot to take in but that’s part of the business, part of the game and it’s [the team] just being professional and adjusting to it.”

El Paso Locomotive FC 1-3 Birmingham Legion FC
Southwest University Park; El Paso, Texas
Saturday, June 1, 2024

El Paso Locomotive FC Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera
On the loss:
“What we’ve been doing on the field is not even close to what we need to do. I was expecting an aggressive team and I saw the total opposite. We are too nice and when you’re too nice, [Birmingham] came to our home and took whatever they wanted to take. They went through us too easy, and we weren’t given a good matchup in terms of fighting, tackling, defending what is ours, which is our field, our home. So today, I was very disappointed about that because when you play at home, you don’t give up that easy. They scored three but it could have been seven if not for the goalkeeper. It’s a lot of work to do. It’s my responsibility now but that was a tough welcome, tough wake-up [call]. I know what’s going on and now I need to work on that.”

On what the teams need to do better:
“”What we need most at this moment is the fight, dedication, courage to compete for every ball. We didn’t commit the fouls and we let them get right past us and we did nothing about it. It is a shame because we were too nice and did not have that desire to fight. That is the reason why we haven’t won six games at home. We are letting opponents come to our house and steal points… and we aren’t doing anything about it. We need to react. I didn’t think this would happen tonight but thankfully, it happened and I like that. Why? It’s a wake-up call. At home, we need to fight.”

On making changes to the starting lineup:
“Tonight was a call to attention for everyone because here, no one’s spot is guaranteed. When one is in last place, not winning and getting beat like that, one has to find solutions because if the problems aren’t being solved with the ones playing, we have those on the bench and if they’re not on the bench, then we need to find another solution. That is my responsibility. I just got here and I need to find that. I need to fully diagnose this team and know them more, but be sure that we can help them and demand more. I will not hide the truth from them. Why? The truth is there and one cannot lie to oneself. For some reason, we cannot win at home and we need to be conscious of that.”

On the quick turnaround:
“”Luckily, we return on Wednesday. We’ll train on Sunday, Monday, travel on Tuesday then train again. We need to train, to work, be aware and tighten ourselves up. I’m glad we return to action on Wednesday because it is hard to think about the idea of having to wait a whole week to return to action. On Wednesday, hopefully we can get this thorn out of our side because truthfully, this is hurtful.”

El Paso Locomotive FC Forward Justin Dhillon
On Wilmer’s passion and honesty in coaching:
“Wilmer is extremely experienced in all levels of this country. He’s played in World Cups and he’s got immense passion. You can see it in every single session, every single game. At halftime, he wants more from us. At training, he wants more from us. After the game, you can just feel that there’s more that’s desired for each and every one of us. He will get more and more out of us every single week. Obviously, he just came, it’s still fresh and new. He brings his ideas but again, he’s a very well-respected coach and has tons of experience. I think all of us are very grateful to be working with someone like that.”

On his individual performance:
“Previously, I had been struggling to get service but I don’t think that was the question tonight. I had multiple opportunities tonight and I am still replaying that one from Nick, a great ball across. Even the header, maybe top of the 18, I can direct it better towards the corner. Those are things I’m going to take with me tonight and think what I could do better, but I think the crosses, the service was there for me to be the player I need to be. I hope that we can continue to build off of that. As a collective, create more chances for everyone because when we can create more chances in front of goal, everyone starts getting more confident. Goals come, results come so I think that again, it’s a process but it’s trending in the way we want it to.”

On facing his former side:
“”It’s a Copa Tejas game, a bit of a rivalry match. I know personally, I want to perform in front of all those great fans that have done a wonderful job of supporting me all these years but now I’m wearing these colors, so I want to be able to represent our club with a championship mindset and play for this city I’m currently in. It’s a quick turnaround, but I know I’m personally excited. The whole group after this performance wants to show more than what we gave tonight. That’s kind of the blessing of this sport, when you don’t do everything you wanted to do on a night, having the opportunity to [fix things] a couple days later is important.”

El Paso Locomotive FC 0-1 FC Tulsa
Southwest University Park; El Paso, Texas
Saturday, April 27, 2024

El Paso Locomotive FC Head Coach and Technical Director Brian Clarhaut
On the loss:
“At the end of the day, you have to score more goals than the opponent and that’s one of our big problems. Today especially in the first half, we’re getting down to [the opponent’s] area and we’re not ruthless enough, we’re not getting enough quality chances. It’s something I need to take a look at and take responsibility for.”

Captain midfielder Eric Calvillo
On the difficult start to the season:
“It’s not like we’re being dominated by these teams completely… and that’s what’s most frustrating about it. I don’t think we’re playing bad soccer; I think we’re still doing things well and getting somewhat clear chances. Maybe not as much as we need, but yeah, it’s very, very frustrating.”

On the possibility of lack of belief:
“I don’t think that’s the issue at all. I feel like everybody’s believing that we can still do it. We have the players, it’s just about putting it all together.

On self-reflection:
“It’s game eight and we can’t rely on certain people, individuals to save us because this is a team sport at the end of the day. Everybody [needs to] take accountability amongst themselves and ask ‘Am I giving enough for the team?’. Like me personally, am I giving enough for the team honestly? Like, I can I do more? Obviously, you can always do more. I could always do more and I need to do more.”

El Paso Locomotive FC 0-1 Oakland Roots SC
Southwest University Park; El Paso, Texas
Saturday, April 13, 2024

El Paso Locomotive FC Head Coach and Technical Director Brian Clarhaut
On the loss:
“To do that (losing consecutive games in which El Paso lose the lead minutes after going up 2-1) two weeks in row, I have to look at myself in the mirror and look at changing some things.”

On the lack of goals despite the high chance creation:
“In the first half, we were able to push them down, especially down that left hand side. You saw [Tony Alfaro] a few times enter and to be honest, the way we got the penalty kick was textbook on what we work on. They had a flat five, [Justin Dhillon] was moving and our forwards were busy. It was a bit hard to break down, so that’s how I look at that. We were entering, they were low and it was hard to break down. I would’ve liked to get more outside shots. You can’t just force the ball through and put a needle in a haystack every time. We need to mix it up a bit and get some wide entries.”

On the importance of picking up a win against Union Omaha on Wednesday in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup:
“I think this group needs a win and we’ve been saying that for a long time. We were close against New Mexico, close today but we need to get on the other side of the needle for us with confidence.”

Forward Justin Dhillon
On scoring his first goal in the loss to Oakland:
“Definitely grateful to score my first goal, especially in front of the home fans. I’ve been working on that for a couple of games, but it’s a sour taste in the mouth when you got two games in a row where you’re up 2-1 and can’t hold on to it. So, I think it’s something for everyone in the team to look back at and self-reflect, dig deep into what we’re trying to do.”

On Locomotive’s team and style of play:
“I do believe we’re a good team. I do believe we have good players, good pieces, good coaches. At the end of the day, it’s a business of results so we can do all these right things but it’s about wins and losses.”

On his role on the team:
“When I came here, the team knew what they wanted out of a forward and I knew what I brought to the table. I think that our team, and me personally… the best is still to come.”

Defender Yuma
On making his first regular season appearance in 2024, which was his 100th USL Championship appearance for Locomotive:
“It came at a difficult moment of the game when we were 3-2 down, but I entered with a lot of energy and desire to play and compete. I train to do that every day. 

On the team’s current form and frustrations:
“Frustration in results should unite a team to become stronger, much more competitive, as a family. If you lose, we all lose. If you win, we all win. The problem isn’t winning, the problem is we need more energy. We need to put much more effort and intensity into the match. We complete a comeback then lose that lead again in minutes, same as it happened in New Mexico. That cannot happen. We need to be smarter and try different things. Multiple games are happening in a single game, and we need to be smarter.”

On the Open Cup match at Union Omaha on Wednesday:
“It’s going to be against a difficult opponent with great players. They are [USL League One] but they are a really good team. The players who want to play, compete and win need to show up. One victory can spark more down the line, like a difficult Tampa Bay side coming up. The locker room needs to come into Wednesday’s game looking to win it, not just to make club history, but for us as well because on Saturday, we’ve got a tough test against Tampa Bay.”

El Paso Locomotive FC 0-3 FC Juárez
Southwest University Park; El Paso, Texas
Wednesday, March 20, 2024

El Paso Locomotive FC Head Coach and Technical Director Brian Clarhaut
On his biggest takeaways on the inaugural Derby Paso Del Norte:
“We played [our starting group] for 30 minutes and then we made some changes. Some young players made their debuts with us and we got out healthy. We knew the second half would be more challenging, but overall I think [this match] was good for the community, the Borderplex and everyone involved.”

On match positives:
“It was good to give some guys some minutes that haven’t played in our opening week, so I think that’s positive. I think it was good to put these guys in this type of environment, for these younger players to develop in front of a big crowd and in front of a challenging opponent.”

On the playing the first 30 minutes with a strong starting group:
“I thought the guys brought in some good energy for the first thirty minutes and I thought they showed what they could do. I was pleased with their performances. There a few things in midfield that I think we could’ve tweaked, but the first thirty minutes with that group, I was happy.”

On managing player fitness ahead of the upcoming match against Las Vegas:
“I don’t think people realize how difficult it is to get three games in that opening week and being the only team in the USL to do that, so I can’t stress that enough. I needed to be smart, so [the starting group] got thirty minutes of some football conditioning for us and we were able to see some guys get some more fitness in this start of the season. [The match against Las Vegas] is a good opportunity for us and we need to get a result.”

FC Juárez Head Coach Mauricio Barbieri (Translated)
On the victory against El Paso:
“The victory is important for confidence but what I liked the most was the team’s performance. The manner in which they played and knowing how to go up against Locomotive and keeping their composure, especially in the first half which was very intense. The second half was good for our teams’ confidence because it shows them that they can score goals and win games ahead of our match against Club Puebla on Saturday.”

On their upcoming match against Puebla:
“I’m sure that’s going to be a game with a lot of nerves because we’re both battling to avoid being last place in the table. Circumstances have changed since the original date of the match because of the unfortunate passing of [Diego “Puma” Chavez], but we need to enter with serenity and tranquility, not lose sight of things during the match. A victory at home would be very important and in order to do that, we need our minds to be clear and calm to fight to get that win.”

On what opportunities the Derby Paso Del Norte provided the Bravos:
“I was very happy with what our players did when they were tested in new positions. Players who haven’t had as many opportunities to play came in and played well. I was pleased with everyone who came in, who were all committed to playing hard in the match. Now, we have two days before our next match and we’ll take what we learned today ahead to help us shape our next starting eleven against Puebla.

On the atmosphere of the inaugural Derby Paso Del Norte:
“The environment and the fans was extraordinary. This is the first encounter between two sister clubs and I hope that this can be done many more times in the future. The fans loved it and we did as well.”

El Paso Locomotive FC 0-1 Louisville City FC
Southwest University Park; El Paso, Texas
Saturday, March 16, 2024

Head Coach and Technical Director Brian Clarhaut
On the state of the team after three matches:
“The boys that are running are mentally tired. It’s been a hard week and we got to do it again next week, which is tough and we have three guys leaving for international team duty (Jeremy Garay, Amando Morneo – El Salvador; Jahmali Waite – Jamaica). It’s not going to get easier and we still have to see with Brandan Craig’s injury. We knew this was going to be a tough start like last year. [The start of the season] was just about trying to get through it and it’s not the start we wanted or expected.”

On the loss to Louisville City FC:
“We were more organized than we were against [Monterey Bay F.C.], that’s something we tried to focus on in the limited time we had, so I give credit to the boys. We have opportunities… but I do think at the end of the games when we’re down, we need to be more ruthless, put more balls in the box and our finishing needs to be sharper. I think that’s clear.”

Captain and midfielder Eric Calvillo
On the match:
“Coming in and trying to respond today [after Wednesday’s match against Monterey Bay], I feel like the team did against a top team in our third game of the week. We responded well in the first half, we created some chances and were more organized defensively. Then again, one little [mistake]… and they find the back of the net.”

On his personal next steps:
“For myself, I’m so [critical] of my game and the way I play. I question myself ‘Am I giving what I need to give for the team, especially as the captain, one of the leaders of the team?’ I’m taking it very personal and I feel like I should raise my hand first. I don’t want to keep blaming myself… but at the same time, there’s more that the fans have seen from me and I need to do more.”

On the loss of Brandan Craig to injury:
“It’s going to be hard. Obviously, it’s heartbreaking to see a young player like that who has a lot of quality go down in such manner. Who knows what’s going to happen after this but that opens another door for somebody else to step in, prove themselves, take responsibility and show their personality and character.”

El Paso Locomotive FC 1-1 Monterey Bay F.C.
Southwest University Park; El Paso, Texas
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Head Coach and Technical Director Brian Clarhaut
On the match:
“I think you could see the fatigue levels on our players. It’s tough to get that Wednesday that early… I think we were sloppy on the ball and in a lot of areas. Unfortunately, we had to sub two forwards out early in the game, three if you count Tumi Moshobane. In the later stages of the game, I had [Arun Basuljevic] up there for a little bit with [Ricardo Zacarias] and then I had to switch [Diego Abarca] up there because I wanted pace at least in behind but we were limited in what we could do to be threatening. From the defensive side, we had to get pushed down to concede space because our legs couldn’t get pressure on the ball, so we made that decision to try to be more compact at times because I thought in the first half, we would make a mistake, [Monterey Bay] would hit long balls and were very dangerous.”

On the link-up play leading to Amando’s first goal for El Paso:
“I think it was a fantastic goal, fantastic link-up play and a fantastic individual effort. [It’s] good to get Amando on the Locomotive score sheet in the second game of the season, so that’s positive.”

On player health ahead of the match:
“We had Justin Dhillon coming off of food poisoning last night. He was questionable for today, [so] we were lucky he got through 45 minutes. Amando Moreno on a cramp at 55′ and Tumi with a tight hamstring. We’ve got to be smart as well this early in the season, but I think fatigue played an extreme factor. [Joaquin Rivas] is dealing with a back issue, it’s kind of day by day. Petrovic is dealing with a bit of inflammation in the Achilles area.”

On what to prioritize ahead of Saturday’s day game vs Louisville City FC:
“Just recover. I didn’t think our organization was good defensively or offensively… I’ll look at a few things and we’ll take some subgroups and go through some more individual things. We’ve got to prepare for Louisville but it’s not the result or the type of play that we wanted.”

Forward Amando Moreno
On scoring his first goal for El Paso Locomotive FC:
“For me, my objective was to score as quickly as possible… when I’m at 100%, I know that’s when I got to take advantage. Once the game starts to die down, it’s harder to get a goal. I’m happy I went with my gut when I saw the goalie leaning way too much to the left and did my part to get in there.”

On his chemistry with Justin Dhillon:
“The connection I have with Justin Dhillon is fantastic. He’s the kind of player that likes to play off whoever is with him and I need that kind of player to highlight what I do best. It’s only the second game and I wish we could’ve won these first two games, but there’s so much good that we have, especially the connection between me and Justin where we’re both the forwards and I think that’s where you need it. I’ve been in situations where that hasn’t really clicked and it’s hard to get going. Luckily, I have someone like JD and I know it’s going to be very successful for both of us this season.”

On joining El Paso from rivals New Mexico United:
“This is my new chapter. For me, being here and doing as well as I can with the ability I know I have, that’s my main focus. I hope everyone understands that there’s no bad blood.”

On what the next step is ahead of Louisville City FC on Saturday, March 16:
“I don’t think we should get too much in our heads. The connection we’ve built with so little time, I think it’s there. Sometimes we create these plays where I’m like ‘Wow, you don’t get this until midseason!’ We have to close out these games, we have to keep those leads… those are just little details we have to fix.”

NOTES

• El Paso picked up its first point of the 2024 season, moving up to 7th in the Western Conference standings.
• Amando Moreno opened his scoring account for El Paso, which was also the first Locomotive goal of the season.
• Justin Dhillon grabbed the first assist for Locomotive in 2024.
• Diego Abarca and Noah Dollenmayer saw their first minutes of action in 2024, stepping on as second-half substitutes.
• El Paso now remains without a win against Monterey Bay F.C. in four matches (1-2-2).

UP NEXT: El Paso Locomotive FC faces Louisville City FC for its first-ever day game on Saturday, March 16 at 1 p.m. MT. Gates at Southwest University Park open at 12 p.m. MT and the first 1,500 fans through the gates will receive free Locomotive Sun Hats! Tickets for the match can be purchased at eplocomotivefc.com/tickets.

El Paso Locomotive FC 0-1 Hartford Athletic
Southwest University Park; El Paso, Texas
Saturday, March 9, 2024

Head Coach and Technical Director Brian Clarhaut
On the match:
“I’m happy with how we played, we stuck to the match plan and the second half was superior. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the goal. The hardest thing to do in our sport is to score goals. We outshot [Hartford Athletic] 15-7 but [scoring] is the final detail. I liked what we were doing, I thought we were causing enough problems. Those first 10-15 minutes, I don’t think they were super sharp from either team. I think as we settled into the game, you saw what we could do.”

On the new players:
“In terms of how we played, some of the stuff we did was at a very high level. We’re doing things not too many teams are doing in this league. Eight new players made their debuts and it’s going to get more fluid, a little bit sharper.”

On Wednesday’s home match vs Monterey Bay F.C.:
“It’s [Monterey Bay’s] first game. I will review the film after I watch our game then we got to get to work. We were fortunate to have a lot of video on Hartford going into this game and that’s not always the case… we’ll look at them and prepare accordingly.”

Defender Tony Alfaro
On the match (translated from Spanish):
“Tonight’s match was a progression of what we learned during the preseason. We have a bunch of new players and we’re slowly starting to build up our relationship and chemistry and tonight showed that our squad has a lot of quality and a game philosophy that [Brian Clarhuat] has instilled in us. I believe we were superior, but the game is won by goals. We’ll learn from this and move forward because I’m sure we’ll win many games throughout the season.”

On how the team will react ahead of Wednesday’s contest against Monterey Bay F.C.:
“It’s a learning process; we still have 33 games. This is the beginning so we’re just going to keep working, go over video, look at what we can change and do better and keep progressing.”

Defender Lucas Stauffer
On the match:
“That’s sport. A lot of the time, you feel you deserve to get a result but there’s another team that thinks they should deserve a result. It was just a bit unlucky tonight.”

On the team’s depth:
“There were so many good things that came out of tonight, and you could see that we’ve got such a deep squad. Our entire starting eleven, our bench, the guys who aren’t even rostered right now, from top to bottom, it’s a grind. [The squad] is very competitive within training because we know we have guys who just have a lot of quality.”

On the match day atmosphere for the 2024 Home Opener:
“I use a very simple gauging system: if it’s hard for me to communicate with a teammate on the field, normally you’re playing in a pretty good atmosphere. I couldn’t hear five yards in front of me and you can kind of hear the hoarseness in my voice. Credit to the fans because they made it an unbelievable atmosphere and it’s only going to get better. So for those people who came out tonight, as a player and as a fan, those are the types of environments you want to be in. Unfortunately, the result didn’t go our way but I think that the people that were in the stands tonight or watched from home can see that we have a very good product.”

NOTES

• Eight (8) players made their Locomotive debuts: Bolu Akinyode, Tony Alfaro, Brandan Craig, Justin Dhillon, Amando Moreno, Tumi Moshobane, Lucas Stauffer, Jahmali Waite.
• Nick Hinds registered his 150th appearance in the USL Championship. It was his 57th match for Locomotive in regular season play.
• This is the first time El Paso has lost a match to Hartford Athletic.
• El Paso’s streak of never winning a season opener continues for a sixth straight year.

UP NEXT: El Paso Locomotive FC welcomes Monterey Bay FC to Southwest University Park on Wednesday, March 13 for the first in-conference clash of 2024. Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT and tickets for the match can be purchased at eplocomotivefc.com/tickets.