October 21, 2022 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – El Paso Locomotive FC News Release
EL PASO, Texas – El Paso Locomotive FC announced today that Captain and Defender Javier Monsalvez, better known as Yuma, will be returning for the 2023 season. The veteran defender has been with El Paso since the inaugural 2019 season. His leadership and experience helped carry El Paso to two back-to-back Western Conference finals (2019, 2020) and three consecutive postseason runs.
The Spanish defender has appeared in 88 matches for Locomotive and has amassed over 7,000 minutes played for El Paso across his four seasons. Yuma has cemented himself as an El Paso fan favorite, never backing down from a challenge and turning up the intensity when it is needed. He has a commanding professional presence on the pitch and has been a menace to opposing team’s attack.
“Yuma is everything you want to build a football club on. He drives the culture of the change room. He is loved by all the fans of this club and disliked by fans of other clubs, as they all wish they had a Yuma on their team. He is a great professional and his never die attitude just sums up what he means to everyone. Yuma had a fantastic 2022 and is a true leader. Younger players and senior players all look up to him for guidance. 2023 will hopefully bring him more happiness and success in his career,” commented Head Coach and Technical Director John Hutchinson.
Yuma held an impressive 92 percent passing accuracy across the 2022 campaign, highlighting his pedigree as one of the most valuable center backs in the league. He also led the team in clearances (90), blocked shots (15), and interceptions (39) on the year. El Paso will be announcing more roster additions in the coming weeks.
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