EL PASO, Texas – A late goal by Bryam Rebellon sent El Paso Locomotive FC to a 2-1 victory against Real Monarchs SLC on Saturday night as the hosts continued to forge their path toward a place in the Championship Playoffs at Southwest University Park.

Following the opening minutes of the contest, between 7:00 and 8:46 of the match, players from both sides came together at the center circle, united against racism, and in support of equality, diversity and compassion.

In the game, the Monarchs’ pressure almost resulted in an opening goal as a clearance by El Paso goalkeeper Logan Ketterer was intercepted by Dayonn Harris, who quickly centered for a layoff pass by Ryan Sierakowski that allowed Jack Blake to shoot first-time, but Ketterer parried the effort away to keep the game scoreless.

The two teams then exchanged chances as El Paso’s Josue Aaron Gomez sliced a chance wide of the right post from the left side of the penalty area in the 17th minute, and the Monarchs’ Taylor Peay sent a flicked header over the crossbar off a long throw-in by James Moberg a few moments later.

Real thought it had opened the scoring in the 26th minute but the offside flag was raised after Kyle Coffee volleyed nicely into the net off a cross by Harris. Then four minutes before halftime Locomotive FC’s Omar Salgado almost found the net as he beat Monarchs goalkeeper Jimmy Slayton to a ball over the top, but was driven slightly wide to the right which allowed Peay to get back and block his effort on net to keep the game scoreless at the break.

El Paso opened the scoring eight minutes into the second half, however, as a corner kick from the left by Dylan Mares found a wide-open Brent Kallman at the back post for a headed finish to the left corner. The hosts almost added to their lead shortly after as Bryam Rebellon fired a powerful shot from the left side of the penalty area only for Slayton to get down well to save.

The Monarchs went in pursuit of an equalizer, and in the 64th minute almost found one. A beautifull weighted through-ball by Bode Davis sent Coffee breaking into the left side of the penalty area, but his finish slid across the net and wide of the far post. With nine minutes to go, though, Real struck as Harris found space on the right and picked out a low pass to Coffee, who finished clinically into the left corner.

El Paso grabbed all three points with four minutes to go, however, as Real’s Noah Powder sliced a low cross from the left by Salgado that came to Rebellon in the right side of the area. The midfielder controlled, cut centrally as Powder tried to close him down and then unleashed a powerful shot into the top-left corner to earn the hosts another win and send the Monarchs closer to elimination from playoff contention.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Bryam Rebellon, El Paso Locomotive FC – Rebellon scored the late winner and had a positive game in midfielder overall, winning 10 of 17 duels and completing 29 of 43 passes while finishing with five shots overall.