Kickoff: Saturday, October 10, 2026 (6:00 PM PDT)
Where: Southwest University Park, El Paso, Texas
How to Watch: ESPN+
Available in the U.K.: USL on YouTube
Orange County SC heads to Southwest University Park on Saturday needing a result in a Western Conference race that is still wide open. Sitting seventh at 10-8-9 with 39 points after 27 matches, OCSC remains firmly in the playoff push, one point behind Colorado Springs and three behind Tulsa, with the top of the West still within reach if this group can stack points on the road. First-place El Paso Locomotive FC is the hardest available test. The Locos are 14-8-5 with 47 points, already in the playoffs and playing for home-field advantage, and they have not lost at home often enough to make Saturday comfortable.
The recent run explains why this trip feels heavier than the table position. Orange County took a valuable 1-0 win over Pittsburgh on September 26, then dropped a 2-1 decision to Monterey Bay on October 3 after leading at the break. Tom Brewitt, the captain and the organizer of the back line, was sent off in first-half stoppage time for a denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, and OCSC spent the entire second half a man down. That red card carries a suspension into El Paso. Without Brewitt, the group has to reorganize in front of Alex Rando against the team that leads the West.
There is a useful reference point in this series. On August 1 in Irvine, Orange County beat El Paso 2-0, and that result stood as the Locos’ last league defeat until Saturday’s 3-1 loss at Lexington snapped a nine-match unbeaten run. El Paso will also be short in the middle. Arturo Ortiz was sent off in the 24th minute in Kentucky, his second red card of the season, and will be unavailable at Southwest University Park. Amando Moreno still scored in that match, his seventh of the year, and the Locos can still hurt teams through Moreno, Alex Méndez, and Eric Calvillo even with a reshuffled back line.
What to expect is a road match Orange County cannot treat as a free swing. El Paso will have the crowd and the better season, and OCSC is still searching for consistency after a difficult September. The opening is real. Both sides are missing a starting center back, and the last meeting in Irvine showed what this group can do when it stays organized and finishes its chances. A point keeps OCSC in the cluster. Three points would be a statement that the playoff push is still alive.
Orange County SC will play its final regular-season home game on October 17th with a special Fan Appreciation Night Beer Fest celebration. For tickets and more information, click HERE.
OCSC Keys to the Match:
For Orange County SC, the night starts with the back line. Without Brewitt, Tyson Espy, Ryan Doghman, and Jaylin Lindsey must win the first and second balls because El Paso doesn’t need many chances to score. Stay in the game through the first 20 minutes. Southwest University Park gets on top of visitors early, and another slow start would hand the Locos the match state they want. Use the Ortiz absence. A reshuffled El Paso center-back pairing is the softest part of an otherwise strong side, and set pieces are the cleanest way to test it. Control the ball in midfield. Kevin Partida and Ousmane Sylla have to connect with Chris Hegardt and the forwards, because chasing this game has gone badly on the road before.
OCSC 2025 USL Championship Regular Season Record: 10-11-9 (7th)
Goals Scored: 44 | Goals Allowed: 45 | Clean Sheets: 8
Orange County SC is 5-5-5 all-time against El Paso Locomotive FC (Last 5 against ELP – 2-2-1)
Players to Watch:
M Chris Hegardt
D Nico Benalcazar
Previous Matchup: 2026 USL Championship:
Orange County SC 2-0 El Paso Locomotive FC (August 1, 2026, Irvine, CA)
Scoring Summary: 26’ Ousmane Sylla – (Assist: Chris Hegardt), 62’ Garrison Tubbs – (Assist: Yaniv Bazini)
El Paso Locomotive FC Keys to the Match:
For El Paso Locomotive FC, the job is to play like the team that already clinched. Moreno and Méndez need early service so the home crowd can settle the match before Orange County finds a rhythm. Protect the box without Ortiz. Lexington scored three different ways once the Locos went to 10 men, and another soft goal would give OCSC a lifeline it does not deserve on current form. Manage the game state. El Paso does not need a statement win. A professional home result keeps the West lead intact.
El Paso Locomotive FC 2025 USL Championship Regular Season Record: 10-9-11 (4th)
Goals Scored: 47 | Goals Allowed: 46 | Clean Sheets: 6
Players to Watch:
F Amando Moreno
GK Abraham Romero