EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – After a stunning 2-0 loss to USL League One club Union Omaha on Wednesday, El Paso Locomotive FC (1-3-1, 4 pts) will look to bounce back when they host Orange County SC (0-1-3, 3 pts) at Southwest University Park on Saturday.
“The Union Omaha game. I will put it in the hard drive and never watch that again. We were pissed. Our performance was not good enough,” Locomotive FC head coach Brian Clarhaut said on Friday. “We need to raise our level. For me, that game is done. I will never watch it again and I will start to focus on the league.”
Los Locos’ match against Orange County SC will be its third in nine days. On Mar. 31, El Paso earned a 2-2 draw at FC Tulsa. Five days later, the club suffered a 2-0 loss at Union Omaha in the U.S. Open Cup. Clarhaut said he kept “significant” players from the squad home for the Union Omaha match in order to prepare for its USL Championship match against Orange County on Saturday.
“We left some guys home on Wednesday for the Open Cup. Traditionally, our draw in the Open Cup at this club is not something that puts us in a position to succeed,” Clarhaut said. “It’s hard to manage. We have a game in two days, we have to fly back so we kept significant players at home in order to prepare for our season in our league that we participate in.”
Los Locos look keep up its good form in USL Championship play. The club has walked out of its last games with points as it grabbed a 3-0 win at Louisville City FC and then followed up with a 2-2 draw at FC Tulsa.
“I think we are looking a bit more organized, a bit more solid,” Clarhaut said. “We aren’t as flimsy, not as all over the place, more of a well-oiled machine. That is how it should be with time. Like I said before, these guys have to earn their goals. I still think that we are too careless, and it is too easy to score on us.”
Locomotive FC now has its sights set on securing a positive result against Orange County SC on Saturday.
Orange County SC comes into the match still seeking its first win of the 2023 USL Championship season. The club dropped its season opener against Louisville City FC and has proceeded to play its way to three straight draws. Points are points still and Orange County sits in 10th place in the USL Championship Western Conference standings.
Orange County has been led by forward Milan Iloski, who leads the team is goals (2) and leads the team in chances created (6).
“They [Orange County SC] have one of the best forwards in the league who has been a constant threat,” Clarhaut said. “They are pretty organized defensively, pretty compact, very good on transition with Iloski, so he is a guy we have to watch.”
El Paso Locomotive FC possess a 1-1-3 record in the all-time series against Orange County SC. Most recently, Los Locos grabbed a 2-1 win over Orange County SC at Southwest University Park on Oct. 8, 2022. El Paso has been unbeaten in the last four meetings and will look to continue the streak.
El Paso Locomotive FC and Orange County SC will face off at Southwest University Park on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. MT. The match can be seen on Estrella TV (Channel 9.2), ktsm.com and ESPN+.
