EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – El Paso Locomotive FC (8-West, 10-10-5, 35 points) are back home at Southwest University Park this weekend, hosting Monterey Bay F.C. in a Western Conference rematch that could prove to be pivotal in the 2023 playoff race.  

HOW TO WATCH EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC VS MONTEREY BAY F.C. – SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2023 @ 7:30 P.M. MT – SOUTHWEST UNIVERSITY PARK  

Stream: ESPN+   
Watch: KTSM.com, Estrella TV 9.2  

Be sure to follow @eplocomotivefc on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for live updates of the match. Additionally, fans are encouraged to download the team’s official mobile app on the Apple App Store or Google Play for instant access to mobile tickets, team content and match notifications.     

ALL-TIME SERIES   

El Paso is 1-1-1 all-time against Monterey Bay. These sides met earlier this season in a 0-0 draw on July 8 at Cardinale Stadium. The first-ever meeting, which was last season at Southwest University Park, saw Locomotive come out on top in a 5-0 win that ended a four-game losing streak  

EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC (8TH WESTERN CONFERENCE, 10-10-5, 35 PTS)  

Locomotive will be looking to build on the momentum of last weekend’s 2-0 win at Hartford Athletic at home versus Monterey Bay, battling to hold on to a spot above the playoff line in the Western Conference.  

“This is the last stretch and it’s an important stretch for us to get back on the horse and make sure we secure a playoff position,” Head Coach and Technical Director Brian Clarhaut said about the final few matches of the regular season. 

As part of the continued effort to secure a postseason berth, Locomotive has recruited 27-year-old midfielder Arun Basuljevic, a highly versatile midfielder with over 100 USL Championship appearances. Basuljevic reunites with Clarhaut (who was his head coach during his 2018 season abroad in Sweden with Nyköpings BIS) and will be available for selection against his former club on Saturday night.  

MONTEREY BAY F.C. (11TH WESTERN CONFERENCE, 8-11-7, 31 PTS)   

In a similar situation to El Paso, the Crisp and Kelp ended a nine-game winless streak at home in a 2-1 win over Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and El Paso will need to be ready to fend off a Monterey Bay side who see Saturday as an absolute must-win if they are to keep their playoff chances in reasonable reach.  

Per the USL Championship, Monterey Bay currently has 11% odds of qualifying for the playoffs and while a loss would not mathematically eliminate them, it could make the playoff pursuit much more difficult.

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, within the official mobile app, 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 2023 promotional schedule, click HERE.