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Gameday Report: Locomotive FC held to draw by Roots SC

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 04/23/22, 11:38PM EDT

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Missed penalty kick by hosts proves costly in 1-1 result at Southwest University Park

EL PASO, Texas – Luis Solignac found the net for El Paso Locomotive FC after the hosts had conceded early but a missed penalty kick by Josue Aaron Gomez proved costly in a 1-1 draw against Oakland Roots SC on Saturday night at Southwest University Park.

Oakland took the lead on the first real chance of the game as off a free kick from the right by Juan Carlos Azocar, the ball redirected off the head of a defender to Dariusz Formella at the back post, and the Polish forward volleyed home into the roof of the net with an excellent finish. Locomotive FC almost replied immediately off a set piece of their own as the ball came to Solignac, but his turning shot was kept out by Oakland’s Benny Diaz with a kick-save. Roots SC then hit the woodwork a few minutes later with a headed finish off a corner kick that rapped the left post, but just past the half-hour mark El Paso pulled level when Solignac controlled a chipped ball over the top by Richie Ryan and flicked his finish past the advancing goalkeeper into the right corner of the net.

El Paso was awarded a penalty kick late in the first half when Gomez was brought down in the box, and the forward stepped up to the spot himself but shot off the left post as Diaz dove the opposite way. Oakland almost responded on the hour-mark when Ottar Magnus Karlsson headed just over from a cross by Jesus Enriquez, but as the half wore on the hosts threatened to grab the lead themselves. With 17 minutes to go, a long-range shot by Sebastian Velasquez was parried by Diaz before Solignac tried to follow up on the rebound, only to also be denied. Diaz was called on again to make a sharp low save on Solignac with five minutes remaining as he shot to the bottom-left corner, but after Velasquez was unable to put away a final chance off a corner kick in stoppage time the points were shared as Roots SC held on for a draw.

USLChampionship.com Player of the Match

Jesus Enriquez, Oakland Root SC – Enriquez put in a solid two-way shift, recording four chances created and completing 5 of 6 dribbles and 20 of 28 passes while winning 10 of 14 duels and making five recoveries defensively.

Scoring Summary
OAK
– Dariusz Formella 12’
ELP – Luis Solignac (Richie Ryan) 31’

Full Box Score

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