El Paso Locomotive FC hit the road with confidence, but a red card and a late surge from Oakland Roots SC sent them home with their first regular-season road loss, a 2-1 defeat on Saturday night.
The match started like a dream for Locomotive fans. Rubio Rubín, in scorching form this season, needed just three minutes to find the back of the net—his seventh goal of the campaign. The early strike gave El Paso a 1-0 lead and set the tone for a fast-paced opening. Álvaro Quezada nearly doubled the advantage moments later, forcing a sharp save from Oakland's goalkeeper.
But the game turned on a dime in the 18th minute. El Paso's Palermo Ortiz was shown a straight red card after contact with an Oakland player, leaving Locomotive to play a man down for the remaining 72 minutes. Suddenly, the visitors were on the back foot, scrambling to protect their lead.
Despite being outnumbered, El Paso held firm—until stoppage time of the first half. Oakland's Peter Wilson pounced from inside the six-yard box to level the score at 1-1 just before the break. The second half was a different story. The Roots controlled 62% of possession, pinning Locomotive deep in their own half. The pressure finally paid off in the 83rd minute when Tucker Leplay unleashed a screamer into the upper left corner, giving Oakland a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish.
El Paso pushed for an equalizer in the final seven minutes plus stoppage time, but Oakland's defense held firm. The loss snapped Locomotive's impressive road unbeaten streak in league play, a run that had stretched back to October 2025.
Despite the defeat, there were bright spots. Eric Calvillo started the match and tied Aaron Gomez for most regular-season appearances in club history at 129. He'll have a chance to break the record on May 30 when El Paso hosts Lexington SC. And Rubio Rubín's early goal moved him into a tie for the league lead with seven goals on the season—a testament to his red-hot form.
For Locomotive, the road setback is a reminder that in soccer, momentum can shift in an instant. But with players like Rubín finding the net and Calvillo making history, there's plenty of reason for optimism as they return home.