There aren't many places in the world that have two professional soccer teams separated by borders, but El Paso and Ciudad Juárez do.
These cities share borders, historic friendships and a love of football.
El Paso Locomotive FC plays in the USL Championship League and FC Juarez plays in Liga MX.
The two teams faced each other behind closed doors in the midst of the 2020 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. FC Juárez entered the match with an U-20 lineup and lost 2-0 against Locomotives FC.
But on March 20 of this year, the two teams met for the first time in front of a crowd of 8,372 at Southwest University Park in El Paso. This was the second largest attendance for a Lokomotive FC home match.
Both teams officially announced their rivalry, naming the game the “Derby Paso del Norte.”
“Paso del Norte” was the name of Ciudad Juarez until 1888, when the Mexican Congress renamed the city in honor of President Benito Juarez. Today, this two-city region of hers is called “El Paso del Norte.”
The match was a celebration of border communities and cultures. Fans from both cities, different states and even foreign countries were welcomed to Mariachi Los Corrales.
Expectations for the match were different. FC Juárez, also known as “Bravos,” are at the bottom of the Liga MX league with 0 wins, 8 losses, and 3 losses. Locomotive FC lost in the first match of the USL Championship.
“We're expecting a good match, very competitive. So I think the level will probably be on Bravo's side because they have more experience,” said Lokomotive FC fan Milton Walker. Told.
Some fans, like Salvador Morales, wore scarves and jerseys from both teams. Although Morales is primarily a Locomotive FC fan, he believed the game was more about bringing the community together.
“You know, it's difficult. We support both sides,” Morales said. “We just want it to be a good game, a competitive game. This is a friendly, family-friendly game that brings people from both cities together.”
Some of the fans who entered the gates of Seinan University Park were super fans.
From FC Juarez, the unidentified masked fan “Spider Bravo”. He covers the team on his social media accounts, making comedy skits and talking about the team's performance.
“The communities of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez are always on the move,” he said. “This means creating unity. We all feel like the same place. Many of us think of it as the same thing. We are a border community; I’m very proud to be a part of it.”
On the Locomotive FC side, Alec Baloch is known as “Bananaman''. He is a huge fan who has been following the team since its inception. As his name suggests, he wears banana clothes.
He is an essential character in the game who supports his team. He came to El Paso for military service at Fort Bliss, where he met his wife.
“El Paso has its own culture, its own people, whatever it is. And the relationship between Juarez and El Paso, you know, is as great as anything,” Baloch said. “So it's definitely like these two cities. The partnership, the culture, the people, the food, everything is unique, but the same, if that makes sense. It's definitely a classic It doesn’t fit the stereotype.”
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The Mexican and U.S. national anthems were played at the opening ceremony. The same people stood and saluted both flags and sang both national anthems.
After a scoreless first half, FC Juárez scored three goals in the second half to defeat Locomotive FC.
Aitor García scored in the 46th minute, Angel Zapata in the 67th minute and Amaury Escoto in the 77th minute.
In total, FC Juarez achieved a 3-0 exhibition victory over their cross-border rivals.
Leandro Carijo, a soccer idol from the border region who was present at the venue during the match, received a round of applause. The Brazilian player is currently retired. He played for FC Juárez from 2014 to 2020 and for Locomotives FC from the 2020-2021 season.
Although the game wasn't what the El Pasoans expected, there was a more than football-crazy crowd in the stadium. It was better than the final score.
For Locomotive FC fan Andy Gallardo, the next step was to play a friendly in Ciudad Juárez. The final two games are being played in El Paso.
“We definitely want the best of the two communities, but unfortunately the better team won,” he said. “We have to share both sides and accept the good and the bad, the bad and the good. I hope we can win there.”
For Charles Verruine, a French exchange student from Montwood High School, El Paso and Ciudad Juarez are unlike anything he's seen in Europe. It was my first time experiencing both communities at the same time.
“They're really nice people, yeah. They talk to everyone and are really welcoming,” he said. “We don't have anything like that in France.”
And whatever the outcome, soccer became another excuse for this transnational community to share its unique friendships and culture.
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