El Paso Locomotive clinch playoff berth with 2-1 win over FC Tulsa
TULSA, OKLAHOMA – El Paso Locomotive (15-2-10, 55 points) earned its 15th win of the season on a 2-1 scoreline against FC Tulsa on Saturday night. Forward Aaron Gomez scored in the 6th minute for his 7th of the season before earning his third assist on Forward Lucho Solignac’s 8th goal of the season moments later.
“Clinching playoffs feels good,” said Head Coach and Technical Director Mark Lowry post-game. “I think it was always going to happen. We’ve been at the top for a while, so I feel like that was inevitable. It’s good to get back to winning ways. We obviously have a ton of injuries right now. We have a makeshift backline there in front of Logan [Ketterer] and the guys put in a great shift tonight. Getting back to winning ways on the road is important. Tulsa is a really good team; they’re going to make playoffs in their division, obviously. Great performance by everybody. The guys put in a real blue-collar work ethic tonight to get the result.”
El Paso came out on fire, dominating the opening 15 minutes of the match and putting FC Tulsa on their backfoot. The early pressure paid off with a dangerous throw in from Defender Macca King that found Gomez at the back post for an easy redirect for a goal in the sixth minute. Just moments later, Gomez played a role in the second Locomotive goal with a deep cross of pin-point accuracy that came off the head of Solignac in the 14th minute. Tulsa began chasing the game, sending clear shots for a goal well wide of the frame. Tulsa would be able to pull one back before the halftime whistle as Rodrigo da Costa snuck in a goal in the dying seconds.
The second half slowed down the game considerably, with Locomotive content to take home a 2-1 win while Tulsa felt out the packed-in El Paso defense. El Paso managed to get into an attacking threat with Midfielder Diego Luna finding Lucho to tap in an easy goal that was ultimately disallowed on an offside call. FC Tulsa had their chances with a freekick headed towards goal that Goalkeeper Logan Ketterer dove deep to deny. The second half stayed quiet with neither side getting the edge over the other leaving Locomotive to claim a full three points on the road and clinch a playoff appearance.
UP NEXT: El Paso Locomotive comes back to Southwest University Park to welcome Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC for their final showdown of the 2021 USL Championship regular season. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. MT on Wed., Oct. 13.
