FC Juarez in a Match Worth Millions, While Locos Face San Diego

Bravos trying to avoid a million dollar fine
FC Juarez will wrap up its dismal 2023 clausura season tonight when they host Club America at Benito Juarez Olympic Stadium in the last week of the regular season. The most hated soccer team in Mexican soccer will once again make its way to the Borderland in a match that has plenty at stake for both teams.

While America will be trying to secure the second position in the general standings table, the Bravos will be looking to avoid finishing in the last three places of the “relegation table” and avoid paying a fine to remain in Mexico’s first division.

Queretaro already has the last place locked up in that table in which it will have to pay 4.4 million dollars. The other two places, currently occupied by Tijuana and Mazatlan, would have to pay 2.6 million and 1.8 million dollars respectively. FC Juarez can avoid all of this by obtaining a win or at bare minimum a draw tonight against America. If they lose they will depend on the results in the Tijuana and Mazatlan matches.

A Borderland connection at Club America
Midfielder Alex Zendejas who was born in Ciudad Juarez but moved to El Paso at a young age has been with America since January of 2022. The 25 year old grew up for a majority of his life in the Sun City before joining the FC Dallas academy. Zedejas is a regular call up to the United States Men’s National Team. Thus far this season Zendejas has participated in 11 matches and was a starter for eight of those for a total of 599 minutes played.

Zendejas’ role with the team from Coapa (Coapa is the neighborhood in Mexico City in which the club’s training facilities are located) has been diligently increasing as of late and a start tonight in front of friends and family would not be a surprise.

Television
Tonight’s match is scheduled for a 9:05 p.m. kickoff. The match will be televised nationally on ESPN Deportes and via streaming on ESPN+.

El Paso Locomotive FC looks to earn points against San Diego Loyal
El Paso Locomotive FC will travel to Southern California to face the San Diego Loyal on Saturday night. The Locos will be looking to extend their current unbeaten streak to five matches and make it three wins in a row.

The Locos have faced the Loyal twice and have lost both matches, failing to obtain a lone point. In a 2023 season that has already had a couple of “firsts” for El Paso (defeating Louisville & Pittsburgh for the first time in club history), they will look to accomplish another “first” by obtaining points against San Diego, for Locomotive fans hopefully by getting a win.

As for how El Paso is approaching this game, head coach and technical director Brian Clarhaut said, “San Diego is a good team, they had success and are undefeated at home. I think they are a good team and we are going to have to have a top performance away from home. From our standpoint we feel good. We haven’t conceded in two games in a row and are coming off of a lot of points in a certain amount of games, so we are going in there with confidence.”

San Diego will be coming off of a mid-week match, a U.S. Open Cup match against MLS club Seattle Sounders, that was about as much of an emotional roller coaster that a soccer match can be, coming back from two goals down in the last 20 minutes to send the game into extra time. Sounders eventually won 5-4.

It will be interesting to see how the Loyal will come into what is going to be their third match in seven days on Saturday night.

Saturday night’s match is scheduled for an 8 p.m. MST kickoff and as always will be televised on ESPN+.