Two teams that have never played each other, in vastly different levels of the American system, from completely different states, amateur versus professional, dogs and cats, it’s the magic of the Cup on display!
Coming into the night, Locomotive had never won a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup match in four attempts, but expectations were high, given the six goals in two matches in USL Championship play and the amateur opponent.
Aside from a change in goal, sitting starter and Jamaican-international Jahmali White for Sebastian Mora, the majority of the lineup was the regular starters for El Paso. So it certainly felt like Locomotive had every intention of going for the win and ending the drought.
The match kicked off as one might expect a matchup between a division two professional club and an amateur side. El Paso dominated possession, swinging the ball from left to right along the back, probing for chances.
After getting two corners in the first 10 minutes, neither of which came to anything, El Paso finally managed to bloody the visitors. Hometown-returning hero Memo Diaz crossed the ball into the box to Beto Avila who one-timed the ball past a diving keeper.
Midway through the first half and Harpos had yet to threaten the El Paso goal. Ball swings around the back, up to the wings, cleared by Harpos. On and On. Harpos desperately defended against the onrushing Locomotive attack.
The second goal would come in the 36th minute off a corner kick for El Paso. Gabi Torres crossed the ball into the far side of the box where Bryan Romero was waiting to head it in. The keeper got his hands to it, but not enough to keep it out of the net.
With just seconds to go in extra time, another corner for El Paso and another goal for Bryan Romero, who took the rebounding header from Arturo Ortiz and buried it for his second goal of the match.
The second half continued the onslaught. And while El Paso was applying pressure it was Harpos’ Braden Fidelak who shouldered the next goal into his own net in the 52nd minute. The own goal was a clear result of the constant pressure from Locomotive.
Just six minutes later, Amando Moreno found Gabi Torres with a beautiful cross into the box and Torres buried the goal to put Locomotive up 5-0.
Harpos found life on a breakaway cross into the box to Baptiste Debuire. Debuire headed the ball past the diving Locomotive keeper in the 65th minute.
Harpos were playing more aggressively in the second half. More fouls, more pushing, and it definitely evened the game, though too little, too late for the visiting amateur side. One might wonder if Locomotive had dialed it back a step, up by four in the second half of a round one matchup and a rivalry Championship game with New Mexico United this weekend.
Harpos deserves all the credit in the world, regardless of the final scoreline. The visiting amateurs were aggressive and up for the challenge the entire match, but were simply outgunned by a Championship side currently playing great offensive soccer.
Coming off of a 4-4 draw in Championship play over the weekend, Locomotive head coach Wilmer Cabrera commented:
“We scored four goals, but when you do that at home, you should win.”
Maybe the trick is scoring five.