EL PASO, Texas – El Paso Locomotive FC will play its final match of the 2023 regular season on the road at Oakland Roots SC, looking to punch its ticket to the postseason.
Kickoff from Pioneer Stadium is scheduled for 8 p.m. MT on Saturday, October 14 and will be available to watch on ESPN+.
To secure a return to the playoffs, (El Paso 12-13-8, 44 points) needs to draw or win against Oakland. If Oakland were to win, a New Mexico United loss and a Monterey Bay FC loss or draw would still be enough to clinch.
However, Head Coach and Technical Director Brian Clarhaut would prefer to get El Paso back into the playoffs through the team’s own efforts.
“We know what’s on the line, we know what’s at stake,” Clarhaut said. “We’re going to go in to try to get the three points. It’s a mindset to win. We can’t [leave] anything to chance.”
El Paso has faced off against Oakland four times – including the 2021 Conference Quarterfinal – and has not yet won a match. If it can tighten up defensively and capitalize on chances up top, El Paso has a chance to record its first-ever win and spoil Oakland’s 2023 amidst the festivities of their regular season home finale.
