EL PASO, Texas – El Paso Locomotive FC will hit the road to play Hartford Athletic on Saturday in Connecticut.
Los Locos are trying to snap a 10-match winless streak that has seen them fall from atop the league standings, to fighting for a playoff spot.
El Paso and Hartford met for the first time last season, a match that saw both sides split the points in a 1-1 draw at Southwest University Park. Diego Abarca, 18, scored El Paso’s lone goal in the contest, which saw him become the youngest goal scorer in club history (16 years, 11 months, 16 days).
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El Paso and Hartford met for the first time last season, a match that saw both sides split the points in a 1-1 draw at Southwest University Park. Diego Abarca, 18, scored El Paso’s lone goal in the contest, which saw him become the youngest goal scorer in club history (16 years, 11 months, 16 days).
Though the result did not go El Paso’s way last week, there were positives in the performance that Head Coach and Technical Director Brian Clarhaut has worked with the team and his coaching staff to build upon in training.
“Training has been intense and we’re working hard,” goalkeeper Benny Diaz said in Spanish during a post-training press conference. “We are focusing on the small details and everything [Coach Clarhaut] is pointing out to us. We cannot go into this match underestimating Hartford.”
In addition to the team’s prep ahead of Saturday, El Paso recently announced two new additions to its roster as it reaches the end of the regular season. Forward Petur Knudsen, a 25-year-old from the Faroe Islands, signed with Locomotive after a season with Danish Superliga side Lyngby Boldklub, where he scored 10 goals and played 34 matches.
Defender Noah Dollenmayer, 23, joins El Paso on loan from Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles FC. So far this season, he has played with their MLS Next Pro side, LAFC 2, registering 16 appearances.
Hartford sits bottom of the East, has conceded the most goals of any team this season (56) and carries the worst goal differential in the league (-24). However, as Diaz said, Hartford should not be a team El Paso take lightly.
Hartford is fresh off a dramatic 4-3 loss to Eastern Conference leaders Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, having rallied together to score three times in eight minutes before Pittsburgh put a stop to the potential comeback with their fourth goal. That match will have left a sour taste in Hartford’s mouth, and they will be looking to find the same spark against Locomotive’s defense.
