El Paso Locomotive finish final home game with bittersweet goodbye to Yuma and Borelli

Locomotive FC fans bode farewell to two franchise legends.

Sofia Sierra, Sports Editor • October 26, 2024

As the Locomotive wraps up its 2024 season, the team’s final home game said farewell to two players, Yuma and Eder Borelli. The two veteran players had been with the program for over five years, making an impact on the Locomotive since their inductions.

On Oct. 19, the Locomotive played against Sacramento FC, who are third in the USL Western Conference. The fierce competition led to a win for the Locomotive while also marking the end of the Yuma and Borelli era.

El Paso Locomotive FC legends Yuma and Eder Borelli announce their retirement. (Jose G. Saldana)

Defender Lucas Stauffer was the first to attack and score a goal, putting the Locomotive on top 1-0. This marks Stauffer’s first goal with the team since transferring from Las Vegas FC this season.

Defender Lucas Stauffer in control of the ball. (Jose G. Saldana)

In the 27th minute, Sacramento forward Kieran Phillips found a pocket through the Locomotive defense, allowing him the tie the score 1-1.

In response, defender José Antonio Alfaro Vásquez scored with a penalty goal in the 31st minute and raised the score 2-1.

Defender Tony Alfaro celebrating his penalty goal against Sacramento Republic FC. (Jose G. Saldana)

The game wrapped up with a win for the Locomotive at home.

While the match gave the Locomotive their eighth win of the season, fans gave Yuma and Borelli their final goodbye at Southwest University Park.

Defender Eder Borelli makes a sliding tackle while a rival player does it too. (Jose G. Saldana)

Yuma and Borelli had remarkable careers with the Locomotive, with both ranked in the top five appearances for the team. Yuma ended his Locomotive career with 114 appearances and 96 appearances for Borelli.

El Paso Locomotive legends being honored Yuma (#24) and Eder Borelli (#5) pose with their families and club officials during a ceremony announcing their retirement, marking the end of an era for the USL Championship team. (Jose G. Saldana)

With the Locomotive remaining at the bottom of the USL Western Conference, they are traveling to Pennsylvania to play against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Oct. 26.

Sofia Sierra is the sports editor and may be reached at [email protected]

About the Contributors

Sofia Sierra, Sports Editor

Sofia is a senior studying multimedia journalism with a minor in creative writing. She is the sports editor at The Prospector. This summer, she completed her first internship with El Paso Matters, a nonprofit newsroom in the city. After graduation, she hopes to work outside of El Paso to continue to grow as a writer.

Jose G. Saldana, Contributor/Photographer

Jose G. Saldana is a senior at the University of Texas at El Paso majoring in digital media production. Jose was born in Los Angeles, California and raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Jose is a contributor at The Prospector. In the future he wants to dedicate himself to sports photography and videography around the world.