El Paso Locomotive FC were unable to break Phoenix Rising FC, as the Arizona squad beat El Paso 2-0 to earn their first victory of the season on Saturday. The defending Western Conference Champions opened the scoreboard in the seventh minute, after a slip by goalkeeper Logan Ketterer caused him to go down and Junior Flemmings to easily maneuver around him for the goal. The second goal happened in the 76th minute, scored by Ben Spencer to seal the win. Despite the final result, El Paso head coach Mark Lowry was proud of the way the team played.
“Phoenix has been the best team in the league the past couple of years,” Lowry said. “I thought we controlled the game well. The first goal what can you say? It happens, he slipped so no one to blame for that. The second goal we’re changing formation and they catch us in that transition. For me, it was our best performance of the season with the ball, possession wise.”
The Locomotives started the match with four players on their injury list; the four starters included Andrew Fox, Derek Gebhard, Bryam Rebellón, and Chiro N’Toko, mostly affecting their defensive back. Forward Jerome Kiesewetter made his debut, albeit a quiet one in the Sun City. Saturday was also his first match in over six months, as he continues to build his fitness. In front of a near sell-out crowd, Phoenix kept a strong hold on the home team, allowing only one shot on goal by match end.
“The first 90 minutes for me could have been better but we have just to focus on the next game,” Kiesewetter said after the match. “We played a decent game, we kept the ball but we have to work on our rhythm, our chemistry and then we’ll find a way to win.”
Leading possession for most of the match, it was the final passes that eluded El Paso. Coach Lowry admitted Derek (Gebhard) and Chiro (N’Toko) were very close to playing Saturday evening, but team staff chose to play on the side of caution to prevent any further injury possibly affecting months of play rather than one match. The changes allowed several players to earn their first minutes on the pitch, including midfielder Calvin Rezende and defender Daniel Navarro.
The team heads out on the road to face Austin Bold FC next Sunday, knowing they faced one of the best in the league and were able to restrict them.
“These guys expect to win when we play like that but it’s about understanding the type of game it was,” Lowry added. “The situation we were in today with shorter players that we had, making adjustments and putting a performance out there that we can be proud of and I think the guys did that.”
