Locomotive FC mount comeback win over Las Vegas, 2-1; Locos tied for first place in USL Western Conference
(Courtesy: El Paso Locomotive FC)
EL PASO, Texas - El Paso Locomotive FC (West-1, 9-3-2, 29 points) climbed to the top of the Western Conference standings after a 2-1 comeback win against Las Vegas Lights FC at Southwest University Park on Wednesday night.
Las Vegas would open the scoring early, finding the back of the net in the 3’ but, as they have done so many times this season, Los Locos would not let that bring them down.
The start of the comeback would begin in the 22’ when defender Miles Lyons was fouled in the penalty box after speeding past the Las Vegas defense. Lining up to take the shot from 12-yards out, forward Luis “Lucho” Solignac would calmly strike the ball into the net, sending the keeper the opposite direction.
El Paso would have another opportunity from the spot just a few minutes later in the 30’ after a handball was called on Las Vegas’ Marcelo Lage. However, Lights goalkeeper Leonardo Diaz would guess correctly the second time around, denying Lucho a second goal.
In the 32’, off a corner from midfielder Denys Kostyshyn, defender Erik McCue would give Locomotive the lead to complete the comeback, heading the cross into the net to record his first Locomotive goal.
Locomotive would go on to sustain the pressure in the second half to add yet another win to its impressive undefeated run.
FORECAST: 92ºF, clear skies
TEAM NOTES
- Locomotive are now at the top of the Western Conference standings with 29 points, a 9-3-2 record and a +8-goal differential.
- Locomotive are unbeaten in 11 matches (nine wins, two draws), equalizing a club record for longest undefeated streak in a single regular season (11 games; August 8-October 4, 2020).
- With Locomotive’s first penalty kick of the season, Lucho recorded his eighth goal to move him up to joint-third in the USL Championship for most goals.
- McCue bagged his first goal of the season after recording his first assist on Saturday against San Antonio.
- Goakeeper Benny Diaz equaled a single game season-high with his five saves tonight.
- With his assist tonight, Kostyshyn now sits at the top of Locomotive’s assist leaderboards alongside Eric Calvillo, Ricardo Zacarias and Eder Borelli.
- Locomotive have won 8 points from losing positions in the USL Championship this season, only Birmingham Legion (9) have recovered more.
- A club best, Locomotive have scored in each of their last 13 games in the USL Championship, scoring 23 goals in that run.
SCORING SUMMARY
- LV 1 – Preston Tabortetaka (Eric Oteng) 3’
- ELP 1 – Luis Solignac, Penalty Kick, 24’
- ELP 2 – Erik McCue (Denys Kostyshyn) 32’
LINEUPS
ELP – (4-2-3-1) Benny Diaz, Bence Pavkovics, Erik McCue, Eder Borelli – C, Miles Lyons (Marc Navarro), Eric Calvillo, Liam Rose (Louis Herrera), Aaron Gomez, Denys Kostyshyn (Diego Abarca), Luis Solignac (Chris Garcia), Ricardo Zacarias (Emmanuel Sonupe)
Subs Not Used: Javier Garcia, Nick Hinds
LV – (4-4-2) Leonardo Diaz, Luke Stauffer, Zach Carroll, Marcelo Lage (Alejandro Mitrano), Tyler Bagley, Jacob Bushue (Manu Ledesma), Andrew Carleton (Andres Jimenez Aranzazu), Justin Ingram, Eric Oteng, Tabort Etaka Preston (Issa Rayyan), Botello Faz – C (Erick Torres)
Subs Not Used: Andre Zuluaga, Danny Rios
MATCH STATS: ELP | LV
GOALS: 2|1
ASSISTS: 1|1
POSS. %: 56|44
SHOTS: 16|18
SHOTS ON GOAL: 5| 7
SAVES: 5|0
FOULS: 13|18
OFFSIDES: 0|3
CORNERS: 5|6
UP NEXT: Saturday, June 17 vs Tampa Bay Rowdies. Kickoff at 7:30 p.m. MT at Southwest University Park. El Paso Locomotive welcome Tampa Bay Rowdies to Southwest University Park for the first time ever as they look to get one back on the team that eliminated from playoff contention last season.
