EL PASO, Texas – April 12, 2022 – El Paso Locomotive, alongside USL Championship, announced today four Locomotive players earned Team of the Week honors for Week 5. Defender Andrew Fox and Midfielder Dylan Mares feature in the Starting XI following standout 90-minute performances while Defender Eder Borelli and Midfielder Diego Lunawere named to the bench.
Fox and Mares put in a clinical shift throughout the night, playing a complete game from the first whistle to the last. Fox became the seventh Locomotive player to score this season in the 19th minute, soaring head above the rest to head in a cross served by Mares. Andrew Fox completed 92% of his passes to compliment his first goal of the season to earn his fourth appearance on the Team of the Week XI as a Loco.
To go with his assist for Fox, Dylan Mares extended his season-leading goal count by putting the final touch on the 5-0 win in the 75th minute with a goal that skipped low into the far corner. Mares completed 86% of his passes while leading the team with five chances created. His complete performance earned him his fourth nod on the USL Championship Team of the Week XI as a Loco, and his fifth overall as he earned a bench appearance in 2020.
Eder Borelli and Diego Luna each earn their fifth and fourth Team of the Week nods respectively, being named to the bench for Week 5. In the Locos’ 5-0 win over Monterey Bay, Borelli recorded an assist for Luna’s goal, while also sending the longball forward that eventually led to Aaron Gomez’s second goal of the night. Borelli completed played both ends with 4 chances created, three clearances, and two interceptions to earn a nod on the bench.
Diego Luna opened his 2022 goal-scoring account with a Goal of the Week contender in the 51st minute. Luna’s creativity in the attacking third extended the Locomotive lead behind an 83% passing accuracy and a team-leading 29 passes in the final third. Luna held a 100% shot accuracy on Saturday night, earning him a mention on the bench for Team of the Week in Week 5.
See below or the full USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 5:
USL Championship Team of the Week – Week 5
GK – Jordan Farr, San Antonio FC: Farr posted a six-save shutout that included five saves on shots inside the penalty area to help San Antonio take a 1-0 victory away from home against defending Championship title holder Orange County SC.
D – Andrew Fox, El Paso Locomotive FC: Fox recorded one goal and drew a penalty kick in El Paso’s 5-0 victory against Monterey Bay F.C. on Saturday while also completing 97 of 106 passes and recording four shots overall.
D – Mitchell Taintor, San Antonio FC: Taintor recorded one assist and had three chances created overall while defensively he won 5 of 8 duels, made five clearances and recorded 13 recoveries in San Antonio’s 1-0 win against Orange County SC.
D – Devon Amoo-Mensah, Detroit City FC: Amoo-Mensah recorded one assist, had two chances created and completed 51 of 57 passes while making 13 recoveries in DCFC’s 4-0 victory against Atlanta United 2 on Saturday.
D – Manny Perez, Louisville City FC: Perez had a standout defensive display as LouCity limited Loudoun United FC to only two shots in a 2-0 victory on Sunday, winning 6 of 8 duels and 2 of 2 tackles while making 15 recoveries for the visitors at Segra Field.
M – Dylan Mares, El Paso Locomotive FC: Mares notched one goal and one assist, had two shots and five chances created overall, completed 57 of 66 passes and won 7 of 9 duels in an impressive all-around display.
M – Luis Seijas, Phoenix Rising FC: The Venezuelan midfielder scored a pair of first-half goals and had three shots and one key pass while completing 30 of 36 passes overall in Phoenix’s 3-1 victory against the LA Galaxy II.
M – Anderson Asiedu, Birmingham Legion FC: Asiedu scored a stoppage-time game-winner to lift Legion FC to its first league win of the season against Hartford Athletic, capping a performance in which he had five shots and three chances created, completed 46 of 51 passes and made 10 recoveries.
F – Albert Dikwa, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC: Dikwa recorded two goals and one assist while recording three shots and two chances created and completing 20 of 25 passes in the Hounds’ 4-3 win against FC Tulsa.
F – Kyle Vassell, San Diego Loyal SC: Vassell delivered his first two-goal performance for SD Loyal and had four shots overall while completing 17 of 22 passes in his side’s 4-1 victory against the Charleston Battery.
F – Antoine Hoppenot, Detroit City FC: Hoppenot recorded one goal and one assist, had four chances created and two shots and won 7 of 12 duels to lead DCFC’s 4-0 victory against Atlanta United 2.
Bench: Connor Sparrow (MIA), Eder Borelli (ELP), Mechack Jerome (IND), Cam Lindley (COS), Aodhan Quinn (PHX), Diego Luna (ELP), Stefano Pinho (IND)
The four Team of the Week stars and El Paso Locomotive FC return to the field on Saturday, April 16 against San Antonio FC. Kickoff from Toyota Field in San Antonio, Texas is set for 6:30 p.m. MT and will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Locomotive returns to Southwest University Park on Saturday, April 23 against Oakland Roots SC. Tickets for the next home match are available online at eplocomotivefc.com/tickets.