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El Paso Locomotive FC Academy and Club Teams Impress at Phoenix Cup Tournament; U-14, U-20 Teams Win Second Championship This Season

By EP Locomotive FC , 03/22/23, 12:15PM MDT

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El Paso Locomotive FC Academy and Club Teams Impress at Phoenix Cup Tournament; U-14, U-20 Teams Win Second Championship This Season

EL PASO, Texas – El Paso Locomotive FC Academy added more titles to its trophy cabinet this past weekend following the U-14 and U-20 championship runs at the 2023 Phoenix Cup in Phoenix. 

"We had another successful weekend for our participating teams,” Academy Director Ivan Militar said. “We needed high-quality games at this tournament, and we are glad that we got that against strong and talented competition. Our players are successfully developing their relationship with the ball, showing real quality to win games using our style of play.”

EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE ACADEMY SOCCER

The U-14 Academy team won every game in the tournament, scoring at least four goals in all of their matches to secure a second consecutive tournament trophy. The U-20 USL Academy team also went undefeated (2-0-1 in group play) and managed to bring home their second trophy this season after a 2-0 win in the final. 

Although the U13 Academy team didn’t make the championship game, Militar is positive that the valuable experience they gained against strong opponents will serve the players well in their development. 

With Phoenix Cup now in the rearview mirror, the Academy now focuses its attention on preparations for their next big challenge: the 2023 Dallas Cup, an annual international youth soccer tournament that brings together the strongest youth teams from around the globe. 

“This tournament served as an important step in our Academy’s preparation towards the Dallas Cup,” Militar said. “I believe we are ready to compete and showcase to others what El Paso has to offer on the pitch."

EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE CLUB SOCCER 

As El Paso Locomotive Club teams prepare for their return to regular season play in the El Paso Premier League (EPPL), Director of Youth Soccer and Programs Colin Herlinger knew that facing quality competition at Phoenix Cup would provide the teams with an idea of where they stand. 

“It was important for our teams to come out and play in this tournament during our preseason to prepare us for the challenges ahead,” he said. “There was lots of promise on display and some lessons learned that we’ll take with us as our season inches closer.” 

The U11 Blue Team advanced farthest of all the competing Locomotive Club teams, winning all three of their group games to advance to the championship match. Other participating teams in the tournament’s group stage included: 

El Paso Locomotive Blue Teams U9, U10, U12, U13, U14, U15
El Paso Locomotive Gold Teams - U12