HERRIMAN, Utah – El Paso Locomotive FC took some revenge for its defeat in the 2019 Western Conference Final as it took a 1-0 win against Real Monarchs SLC on Saturday night at Zions Bank Stadium that extended the visitor’s lead over their competition for second place in Group C.

After a quiet opening the game was almost broken open by the Monarchs’ Noah Powder in the 15th minute as the Trinidad & Tobago international laced a volley from 30 yards out after a half-cleared long throw-in from the left and fired it just over the crossbar.

El Paso’s Dylan Mares went even closer eight minutes later as his long-range free kick from 30 yards rang the left post with Monarchs goalkeeper Jimmy Slayton scrambling across his goal to just get a hand on the shot and divert it onto the woodwork. Real’s Luke Mulholland then had a chance 10 minutes before halftime as a turnover in El Paso’s half brought the ball to the veteran midfielder, but the deflection on the shot saw Locomotive FC goalkeeper Logan Ketterer react well to turn the shot wide of the post.

The visitors looked the more likely to score late in the first half, however, as Mares slid a low cross for Josue Aaron Gomez that required a well-timed interception from Andrew Brody to deny a clear chance to the forward. Two minutes before the break, Omar Salgado sent a header just wide of the right post off a corner kick by Mares from the left.

El Paso’s momentum carried into the second half and Gomez almost struck 22 seconds after the break as his shot from the left side of the penalty area went just wide of the far post. Five minutes into the second half, however, the breakthrough came as Andrew Fox began a move on the left that passed through Chapa Herrera to Gomez in the attacking third. Gomez’s low cross from the left found Nick Ross arriving in the penalty area, and he produced a low finish to put the visitors head.

Mares went close to adding a second as a through-ball by Herrera played him into the penalty area in the 58th minute, only for Brody to block the shot. Powder then threatened to hit back for Real as he fired another long-range strike that Ketterer was able to gather, and with six minutes to go the Trinidad & Tobago international hit another long-range effort on the half-volley that was always on the rise over the bar.

The Monarchs had another chance late to level things up a minute later as Julian Vazquez broke into the right side of the penalty area and had his near-post shot turned wide by Ketterer. But when a stoppage-time effort by Vazquez was comfortably gathered by the Locomotive FC goalkeeper, it proved the final chance for the hosts to take something from the game as El Paso departed with all three points.  

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Logan Ketterer, El Paso Locomotive FC – Ketterer recorded a four-save shutout to earn the visitors the victory and was solid otherwise, completing 17 of 22 passes to keep things moving for Locomotive FC.