Locomotive FC eliminated from U.S. Open Cup following 4-1 loss against Houston Dynamo
HOUSTON, Texas - El Paso Locomotive FC saw its Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup run come to an end in the Round of 32, falling 4-1 to MLS side Houston Dynamo FC at Shell Energy Stadium on Wednesday.
Houston struck early, opening the scoring in just the 2nd minute as Ondřej Lingr finished from close range to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
Despite the early setback, Locomotive nearly found an equalizer in the 19th minute when Gabi Torres rattled the right post.
The match turned decisively in the 25th minute when Kofi Twumasi was shown a red card, forcing El Paso to play the remainder of the contest with 10 men.
Out of the break, the Dynamo doubled the lead in the 46th minute through Mateusz Bogusz on a fast break. Houston extended the margin to 3-0 in the 58th minute when Nick Markanich finished off a header assist from Héctor Herrera.
Locomotive was able to reach the back of the net in the 75th minute as Beto Avila unleashed a strike from outside the box into the bottom corner, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
However, Houston responded, sealing the result in the 80th minute when Ezequiel Ponce headed home a corner to make it 4-1.
Locomotive, who remains unbeaten in league play, returns home to take on Texas rival San Antonio FC on Saturday, April 18, with kickoff set for 7 p.m.
HDFC 4, ELP 1Shell Energy Stadium
MATCH NOTES
- Beto Avila continues to be a scoring presence against top competition, becoming the only El Paso Locomotive FC player to find the net against an MLS opponent with his 75th-minute strike against Houston Dynamo FC in the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32. The goal adds to his track record in the competition, as Avila also scored a brace against Austin FC in the 2025 Round of 32, netting in the 20th and 34th minutes to give Locomotive a 2-0 first-half lead before Austin mounted a late comeback. Across the last two Open Cup matchups against MLS sides, Avila has accounted for all three of Locomotive’s goals.
- Locomotive FC played more than 65 minutes down a man following a 25th-minute red card. Despite the disadvantage, El Paso created close moments throughout the match, including a first-half shot off the post and multiple additional chances across both halves that resulted in a goal by Beto Avila in the 75th minute.
- Despite the loss to Houston Dynamo FC, El Paso Locomotive is one of two unbeaten teams in the USL Championship - along with the Tampa Bay Rowdies - and the only team in the Western Conference to remain unbeaten. The team ranks second in Western Conference standings with 13 points behind Orange County FC.
- El Paso Locomotive FC conceded a season-high four goals in the 4-1 loss to Houston Dynamo FC, marking the most goals allowed in a match during the 2026 campaign. However, the result comes with significant context, as Locomotive played more than 65 minutes down a man following a 25th-minute red card.
SCORING SUMMARY
- HDFC – Ondrej Lingr 2’ (Nick Markanich), Sam Vines 46’ (Ondrej Lingr), Nick Markanich 58’ (Héctor Herrera), Ezequiel Ponce 80’ (Mateusz Bogusz)
- EPL – Beto Avila 75’ (Ricky Ruiz)
LINEUPS
ELP – (4-3-3) Sebastián Mora-Mora, Ricky Ruiz, Tony Álfaro, Kofi Twumasi, Palermo Ortiz, Álvaro Quezada (Kenny Hoban 79’), Robert Coronado, Eric Calvillo-C (Jimmy Farkarlun 79’), Gabi Torres (Beto Ávila 68’), Rubio Rubín (Diego Abitia 68’), Alex Méndez (Danny Gómez 68’)
Subs Not Used: Abraham Romero
HDFC – (4-3-3) Jimmy Maurer, Sam Vines, Franco Negri (Ezequiel Ponce 59’), Agustin Resch, Felipe Andrade (Antônio Carlos 59’), Héctor Herrera (Diadié Samasséko 70’), Austín Bouzat, Aliyu Ibrahim, Guilherme (Mateusz Bogusz 45’), Ondřej Lingr, Nicholas Markanich (Lawrence Ennali 79’)
Subs Not Used: Jonathan Bond, Duane Holmes
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
- ELP – Kofi Twumasi 25’ (Red)
- HDFC – Agustin Resch 30’ (Yellow), Franco Negri 45’+1(Yellow)
MATCH STATS: HDFC | ELP
GOALS: 4|1
ASSISTS: 4|1
POSSESSION: 55| 45
SHOTS: 17|7
SHOTS ON GOAL: 7|1
SAVES: 0|3
FOULS: 10|6
OFFSIDES: 3|1
CORNERS: 2|0
