FC Juarez Avoids $1.8 million Fine and Locos Look For 4 in a Row

In the final week of the regular season FC Juarez was able to avoid dropping in the final three places of the "relegation table" in Liga BBVA MX and thus does not have to pay a relegation fine to continue being a part of Mexico’s premier soccer division.

Despite losing their final game of the regular season to Club American at home by the score of 1-0 last Friday, two other teams came to the rescue and bailed out the Bravos. Puebla and Chivas put a beatdown on Tijuana and Mazatlan respectively and kept those two teams in the last two of three places at the bottom of the table that Juarez could have fallen into. Queretaro had the dubious honor of clinching the last spot of the "relegation table" weeks ago.

In the end, the Bravos are off the hook for at least 1.8 million dollars. It is the first time in three years that the team from the Borderland will not have to pay a “relegation fine”.

On Tuesday players for FC Juarez began their offseason vacation. They will be on holiday until Moday, May 15 when they have to report once back to the training facilities.

El Paso Locomotive looks to remain hot

El Paso Locomotive will hit the road this week paying a visit to Colorado Springs Switchbacks on Friday night. Locomotive are on quite the streak going into their ninth match of the 2023 USL Championship season, they are unbeaten in their last five matches, winning four of those including their last three matches.

Friday’s match against the Switchbacks will have the theme of payback or revenge for El Paso as Colorado Springs defeated them back on March 15th by the score of 2-1 with the Switchbacks scoring the match winning goal in stoppage time, literally with moments left in the match.

That has not been forgotten as the players that were available for media availability earlier this week and head coach/technical director Brain Clarhaut both alluded to the result at Southwest University Park in mid-March.

As for the match coming up on Friday Clarehaut said, “This is going to be one of the top game in the USL Championship for the weekend. They’re in really good form, they have good players, athletic and fast, we saw that at home in the second game of the season and were unfortunate not to get a point then. It’s a bit of a revenge game for me, we need to respect the pace of some of their players and how potent they are. It’s gonna be a tough game.”

Friday’s match is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. MST kickoff and will be televised nationally via streaming on ESPN+.

FC Juarez women on a downward spiral

After a stellar start to their 2023 clausura campaign, FC Juarez women have trended downward as of late. On Tuesday they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Pumas in Mexico City. The Bravas are currently holding on to the final playoff spot with two matches left in the regular season.

The women have gone cold as of late having only obtained two wins in their last 10 matches, but have only had draws or loses in their last five matches.

The Bravas will travel to Augascalientes to face Necaxa on Monday, before having their season final at home against Puebla next Friday at Benito Juarez Olympic Stadium.