Seriously Loco Soccer Pod

Locomotive may not be doing much this year but we are ending our summer break and getting back on the mics. We have a lot to say about what is going on at the club, along with news of Wahab Ackwei joining alongside Arturo Ortiz and Justin Dhillon headed out to Colorado Springs. Then it is a look ahead to Miami which is a must win game if I've ever seen one since Miami is the only team in the League worse than Locomotive.

Roster moves kick off the agenda tonight as Mikka and Phil talk through Liam Rose's unexpected departure from the club midseason. Diego Abarca and Elijah Martin also were announced as leaving as Wilmer Cabrera continues his shake up. El Paso Locomotive failed to win at home once again in the USL Championship after Eric Calvillo's opening goal was cancelled out by Panos Armenakas' equalizer. The discussion goes to the quality of the opening goal, the inability to continue that quality and the drop off that seems to happen especially at home with the lead. Then they look ahead to Oakland and a flying Roots team who will be a big test midweek for Locomotive.

Phil and Mikka get the chance to sit down with Wilmer Cabrera who was just appointed the new Head Coach of El Paso Locomotive and got to talk about the whirlwind that brought him to town, the tough reality of the team's form and what he believes it will take to get a result against San Antonio FC and beyond. A refreshingly up front interview from a manager who has a US Open Cup among his honors. They follow that up with a discussion of Locomotive's home loss to Birmingham Legion in the USL Championship and look ahead to that SAFC match against a fellow rival also struggling for form.

Phil and Mikka get together to chat about Brian Clarhaut's abrupt end to his tenure in El Paso and they look ahead to the Wilmer Cabrera Era (say that a couple times fast.) They look at underperformance of this current squad in the USL Championship against Cabrera's seeming knack for getting a tune out of an under-resourced squad. His US Open Cup triumph, his playoff escapades, it suggests there is a man who gets the most out of his teams and Locomotive are in desperate need of inspiration ahead of a stern test away to Ben Pirmann and Nick Markanich's unbeaten Charleston Battery.

Phil and Mikka get back together and discuss what is the most difficult period in El Paso Locomotive's history. They talk about an ultimately anemic performance against FC Tulsa, the issues throughout the team in how this system works (or rather doesn't) and take a look at just how things could change.

Phil and Mikka are back to talk about everything that went down in El Paso Locomotive's 1-1 draw against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. A good result that took a ton of work, a bit of luck and a one of the best goals you're ever likely to see from Javier Nevarez. They discuss the shape and this mysterious midfield role that 3 players have not made an impact from, the safe hands of Jahmali Waite and what that means as they look to get their first win of the USL Championship season against FC Tulsa.

Phil and Christian meet up in-person for the first live episode of Seriously Loco since 2020. They have a time talking about El Paso Locomotive's 3-2 loss to Oakland Roots in the USL Championship and just how bad the mood is in the EP camp. Goals for Amando Moreno and Justin Dhillon were not enough to stave off Niall Logue (assisted by Memo Diaz) and Johnny Rodriguez. Some discussion then about the match against Union Omaha in the US Open Cup and a brief look ahead to Tampa Bay Rowdies away.

Phil and Christian get together to talk about El Paso Locomotive's US Open Cup draw against Union Omaha in a rematch from 2023's tournament which Locomotive lost 2-0. Then it was onto Locomotive's 1-0 in the USL Championship to Las Vegas Lights and why midfield played an important part. Then it was onto the main event in previewing the Derby Del Camino Real against New Mexico where all Locomotive fans will be hoping that Amando Moreno has a big say against his former club to get Locomotive's 2024 campaign off the ground in earnest.

The gang is all here as Phil, Mikka and Christian get together to chat El Paso Locomotive's 1-0 loss to Louisville City, the challenges the team had with a lack of rotation, the Brandan Craig injury and the overall lack of cutting edge in this side. Is it a personnel issue, a tactical issue or simply an issue of time? Then they look ahead to the away match in Las Vegas against a Lights side that is just a little more serious than they were the last time these two teams met.

Phil and Mikka are back to discuss El Paso Locomotive's 1-0 Opening Night loss to Hartford Athletic. The crew discuss the new look team which saw 8 debuts, what went wrong on the night but primarily what went right. Lucas Stauffer and Bolu Akinyode in particular impressed, while it looked like Amando Moreno and Justin Dhillon were robbed of a good goal contribution by a wayward offside flag. 

Then it's a look ahead to Monterey Bay as they visit Southwest University Park this Wednesday where Locomotive can bounce back with all 3 points.