Like every team in the USL, the El Paso Locomotive are still at work in progress at this early stage of the season restart.
After a 2-1 loss to New Mexico United Friday night that was its first defeat of this four-game season, what they need to work on is connecting and finishing in the attacking third.
In a game that was in many respects evenly played, New Mexico finished its chances and El Paso didn't, other than an 86th minute penalty from Aaron Gomez. As a result, Untied won the one area that matters most, the scoreboard, and took over first place from the Locomotive in Group C.
"We were the better team," Locomotive coach Mark Lowry said. "We dominated them, objectively you look at the stats. Subjectively, you could see we were the better team. Executing in the final third, it's as simple as that ...
"We're almost always the better team. Can we score the chances we create?"
Locomotive defender Chiro N'Toko said the team need to play "smarter."
"We need to play in better position and better situations," he said. "They were more realistic. They had nine shots, three on the target and two goals."
El Paso had more than half of possession, and were buzzing around the New Mexico goal without managing to get a shot on it until the 63rd minute.
Lowry also felt the game changed when Bryam Rebellon was injured and replaced in the 17th minute of a game El Paso dominated early.
New Mexico, on the other hand, converted a set piece in the 35th minute when when Chris Wehan got on the end of a ricocheting free kick and knocked it in from the edge of the 6-yard box. El Paso was chasing the game the rest of the night.
"They get a free kick that wasn't a free kick and score on a set piece," Lowry said, disputing the foul that gave New Mexico the free kick from 35 yards out. "We hate to see the set pieces, they get two shots and score two goals."
Four minutes into first-half stoppage time, Devon Sandoval, who headed that free kick to Wehan on the first goal, made something from nothing when he fired home from 20 yards out to give New Mexico a 2-0 lead.
Those two goals represented New Mexico's first two shots on target, and their third was a saved penalty kick in second-half stoppage time. El Paso also had three shots on goal.
The Locos did avert the shutout when Gomez drew a penalty while attacking the goal, then converted from the spot in the 86th minute.
After El Paso keeper Logan Ketterer saved a stoppage time penalty, Andrew Fox just missed tying the game when he fired wide in the 95th minute, also just missing a goal-crashing Omar Salgado.
The result confirmed what appeared to be El Paso's one weakness coming into the year, scoring goals. The team lost four of its top six goal scorers from last season and has now scored just four goals in its first four games this year.
They were better at that in last week's game against New Mexico when they tied 2-2 - half their goal total this season — but even then left many opportunities on the field.
That trend started early Friday when in the second minute Salgado raced down the left side but just missed connecting on a cross to Marios Loomis. That trend continued most of the night and led to El Paso's first loss.
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Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.
USL Group C
W T L Pts.
New Mexico 2 1 1 7
El Paso 1 2 1 6
Colorado Springs 1 1 1 4
Real Monarchs 0 1 2 1
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July 25, 2020 at 11:30AM
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Locomotive can't find scoring touch, lose to New Mexico United 2-1 - El Paso Times
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