MEMPHIS, Tenn. – El Paso Locomotive FC fell 4-0 on the road in a difficult match at Memphis 901 FC’s AutoZone Park on Saturday night.
El Paso struggled to break down a tight Memphis defense and would go down 2-0 in the first half after some self-inflicted errors. Memphis would then double their lead in the second half and hold out the result to claim all three points.
Locomotive could have clinched a playoff berth with a win over Memphis, plus a loss by Oakland Roots on Saturday. Oakland lost 4-2 to San Diego Loyal, so the opportunity was squandered by El Paso.
With just one match remaining in the 2023 regular season, Locomotive FC is still sitting in the seven-seed of the USL Championship’s Western Conference playoff bracket with 44 points, one point ahead of eighth-place New Mexico United, two ahead of Oakland and three ahead of Monterey Bay. As it stands right now, El Paso and New Mexico are clinging to the final playoff spots.
El Paso’s season and its playoff hopes will now come down to next Saturday’s road trip to face Oakland Roots. It’s possible that a draw will get Locomotive FC in, but that may not be enough depending on other results. Locomotive will look to win the regular season finale and punch a ticket to the postseason for the first time since 2021.
