Orange County SC came out swinging in El Paso, dominating early possession in the first half. While the hosts capitalized on two clinical finishes, OCSC generated meaningful attacking moments, stayed organized, and showed the fight and quality that have defined their season.
In the opening stages, Orange County SC created most of the pressure and chances inside El Paso’s box. Christopher Hegardt, Ousmane Sylla, and Marcelo Palomino all forced blocked efforts, while the visitors earned multiple corners and attacking free kicks. Yaniv Bazini consistently won set pieces in dangerous areas, and the side kept El Paso’s back line under sustained pressure until Amando Moreno opened the scoring in the 30th minute.
The hosts doubled their advantage in the 43rd minute as Jimmy Farkarlun struck a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner, assisted by Eric Calvillo. El Paso also forced a strong save from Alex Rando on a Roberto Avila effort in the 27th minute.
Despite the scoreline, Orange County SC controlled stretches of possession and created clear opportunities. Early on, Christopher Hegardt and Ousmane Sylla tested the El Paso defense with blocked efforts, while Yaniv Bazini consistently won free kicks in dangerous areas. In stoppage time, Marcelo Palomino delivered a quality cross that Tyson Espy met with a header from the center of the box, only to see it blocked. OCSC also earned multiple corners and free kicks in attacking positions, keeping El Paso’s back line under pressure for long periods.
Defensively, Orange County SC competed hard away from home. Rando made a key stop to keep the deficit manageable, and the group limited El Paso to a handful of clear looks outside of the two goals. Yellow cards to Sylla and Nico Benalcázar reflected the physical nature of the contest, but the side stayed composed and continued to push forward.
Early in the second half, Orange County SC were forced into a change when Nicola Ciotta left with an injury, replaced by 17-year-old Finn O’Brien. The substitution did not disrupt the visitors’ rhythm. Much as they had in the opening period, OCSC continued to control the flow of the attack, and in the 51st minute Christopher Hegardt found the net to cut El Paso’s lead in half.
Orange County SC continued to press for the equalizer, and they nearly found it in the 67th minute. Ousmane Sylla picked out Yaniv Bazini inside the box, and Bazini’s strike was on target, forcing a leaping save from Abraham Romero.
Orange County SC fought until the 98th minute in search of an equalizer but were unable to find one, falling 2-1 to El Paso Locomotive. Despite the result, the club remains in a playoff position, holding the eighth spot in the Western Conference.
Orange County SC returns to Championship Stadium for its final regular-season home match on October 17 against longtime rivals Phoenix Rising FC. The night will feature a special Fan Appreciation Night and Beer Fest celebration. For tickets and more information, click HERE.
| TEAM | FIRST HALF | SECOND HALF | FULL TIME |
| OCSC | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| ELP | 2 | 0 | 2 |
SCORING SUMMARY:
ORANGE COUNTY SC
51’ Chris Hegardt (Assist Marcelo Palomino)
EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC
30’ Amando Moreno (Assist Ricky Ruiz)
42’ Jimmy Farkarlun (Assist Eric Calvillo)
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY:
5’ Tony Alfaro – Yellow Card
17’ Ousmane Sylla – Yellow Card
33’ Abraham Romero – Yellow Card
42’ Nico Benalcazar – Yellow Card
53’ Alex Méndez – Yellow Card
90’ +4 – Zyen Jones – Yellow Card
ORANGE COUNTY SC LINEUP: (4-3-3)
Alex Rando (GK); Ryan Doghman (C) (86’ Jamir Johnson), Nico Benalcazar, Tyson Espy, Nicola Ciotta (48’ Finn O’Brien), Ousmane Sylla, Marcelo Palomino, Kevin Partida (67’ Brandon Cambridge), Chris Hegardt, Lyam MacKinnon, Yaniv Bazini
Unused subs: Tetsuya Kadono (GK); Mataeo Bunbury, Sydney Wathuta, Apollo Marinch, Stephen Kelly, Efren Solis
Head Coach: Dekel Keinan
Possession: 50% | Shots: 11 | Shots On Goal: 2 | Corners: 9 | Fouls: 17 | Offsides: 1 | Saves: 4
EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC: (3-4-2-1)
Abraham Romero (GK); Carl Sainté, Kofi Twumasi, Ricardo Ruiz, Tony Alfaro (46’ Noah Dollenmayer), Alex Méndez (83’ Daniel Gomez), Eric Calvillo (C) (46’ Rubio Rubin), Robert Coronado, Amando Moreno, Jimmy Farkarlun (70’ Nicolás Cardona), Roberto Avila (63’ Zyen Jones)
Unused Subs: Trace Alphin (GK); Álvaro Quezada, Kenneth Hoban
Head Coach: Junior Gonzalez
Possession: 50% | Shots: 20 | Shots On Goal: 6 | Corners: 10 |Fouls: 21 | Offsides: 1 | Saves: 1
Orange County SC v. El Paso Locomotive FC
2026 USL Championship Match 28
Date: October 10, 2026
Venue: Southwest University Park, El Paso, TX