Strange to watch a football match in an actual baseball ground (Derby County’s former stadium doesn’t count), but that’s what we did recently for the next instalment in our ‘Framed’ series, which saw USL sides El Paso Locomotive in action against Tacoma Defiance.
Safe to say that Southwest University Park is sub-par as a football ground. While we remain unqualified to comment on its adequacy as a baseball ground, the quality of the pitch certainly didn’t meet the standard we were expecting upon our arrival for the USL clash between home side El Paso Locomotive and Seattle Sounders reserve team, Tacoma Defiance. But what the pitch was lacking in terms of quality, the support more than made up for.
The game itself carried with it a strange atmosphere, the crowd kept behind the baseball barrier on one side of the pitch, with huge gaps between the field of play and the nearest sets of fans. But a moment of magic from El Paso’s Edson Partida lit up proceedings and the home fans within the ground, as he masterfully guided the ball past the keeper as it dropped over his shoulder while he was facing away from the goal.
Some proper handbags-at-dawn type shenanigans broke out half way through the second half, with plenty of macho gesticulating, the outcome of which was a red card for the home side. But this seemed to galvanise Locomotive all the more, and they were able to capitalise on some weak defending from a corner to secure the win. Plenty of colour, noise and passion, and as long as we don't have to play on that pitch ourselves, we'd gladly do it all again.
Photography by Jorge Salgado for SoccerBible.
