EL PASO, Texas (April 2, 2024) – All of last week, El Paso Locomotive FC Academy competed against the strongest youth teams in the nation across the Dallas metro at the 2024 Dallas Cup, which saw the U20 side reach the championship game played at FC Dallas’ Toyota Stadium to become the first El Paso team to reach the final.

“We come to the Dallas Cup for two reasons: to measure ourselves alongside the best youth soccer teams in the country and to further develop our players, teams and coaches through top-level experiences,” Academy Director Ivan Militar said. “I believe the 2024 Dallas Cup showed us that we can compete toe-to-toe with the best. Across the board, we did well when it came to style of play and results and overall, I believe it was a tremendous experience for our young athletes.

“All of our teams, especially our U20s, showed absolute commitment, heart, and passion for our Club, community, and city of El Paso. It breaks our hearts to have fallen to penalty shootout in the championship match, but the loss does not take anything away from the boys who made history as the first ever El Paso team that reached a Dallas Cup final. This week will stay in our memories forever and we will always remember these guys as one of the best teams El Paso has ever seen."

From the opening ceremony and the opponents from across the continent they got to face plus getting the opportunity to attend the Concacaf Nations League Final between the United States and Mexico at AT&T Stadium, the overall tournament experience provided Locomotive athletes with an unforgettable experience they’ll carry with them forever, memories that the Locomotive Academy strives to create in its effort to be the top youth program in the Borderplex region.