El Paso Locomotive FC took to the pitch tonight in their SOLD OUT historic inaugural home opener against OKC Energy FC. In front of a crowd of 8,324, fans got to see their hometown team take the field for the very first time and cheer them on.

 Andrew Forrest General Manager, Business Operation said, “Congratulations to the fans and the community for coming together tonight. Your support was electric, and the atmosphere was unbelievable. Professional soccer has come home to El Paso and we can’t wait to do it with you all again on March 23rd against Rio Grande Valley.”  

 The Lowry game plan was heavily implemented in this opening match where El Paso Locomotive FC maintained 68.8 percent possession with 506 passes at an 83.2 percent completion rate. “The guys are invested in this club, they are invested in each other, and they are a great group,” said Head Coach Mark Lowry.

 Forward Derek Gebhard netted the first goal in franchise history in the 15th minute. Creative dribbling by Sebastian Contreras and a perfectly placed pass left Gebhard right in front of the goal with a ball at his feet.  “It felt really amazing especially with the fans and the atmosphere we had here,” said Gebhard “It meant a lot to me scoring for a new club and being the first person to do it.”

 Oklahoma City Energy FC ended up winning the contest 3-1 but Lowry knows his team has what it takes to compete in this league. “What people saw tonight was a team that will win a lot of games in this league. We are going to win games home and away, this is the first match in a long season,” said Lowry.  

El Paso Locomotive FC takes to the road to face Real Monarchs SLC next Saturday, March 16th. Catch the action on ESPN+. Good tickets remain for upcoming matches including the Saturday, March 23rd game vs. regional rival Rio Grande Valley FC and the Saturday, March 30th match against Orange County SC.  Season Ticket Memberships, Group Tickets, and Individual Match Tickets can be purchased at https://www.eplocomotivefc.com/ticket or by calling 915-235-GOAL!