EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The El Paso Locomotive are gearing up for a Texas-sixed 4th of July showdown with San Antonio FC on Friday.

Los Locos are coming off a bye week, following a win at Monterey Bay FC the week prior.

The team feels refreshed after the week off, and are ready to get back at it.

It was a refreshing break, really, for us. Get the legs a little bit rested, especially playing a lot of games at the beginning of the season… I think we’re gonna come out with a different type of energy. Obviously positive energy. I think a lot of the guys are very excited to come back and like I said before, we’re fresh and I think we’re gonna come and come for that Copa Tejas, said Beto Avila, El Paso Locomotive FC Forward.

Prior to El Paso’s win at Monterey Bay, it had been a bit of a struggle for the club, sliding down to fourth place in the USL Western Conference standings.

Securing that win led to three points for the Locos, catapulting them back into second place in the conference standings.

(That was) really, really important because that kept us on top of the table for the Western Conference and gave us the possibility to go to that break with a good mentality, positive mentality. So yeah, that was critical, said Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera.

Friday’s match looks to provide high octane, fast paced play.

Both El Paso and San Antonio are currently in great position in the Western Conference standings entering the second half of the season.

San Antonio, they’re currently third in the west, we sit in second. So, both teams are doing well, both teams like to score, so it’s going to be a lot of goals, a lot of going back and forth, so it should be an exciting match, said John Morgan, Communications Coordinator with El Paso Locomotive FC.

The players know this match will have a playoff-like atmosphere.

Intensity will be at its peak on Friday night.

It’s always a good rivalry with them. Regardless of the standings, I think it’s a game that both teams look to, to go out there and fight and win. And yeah, I mean, now that the standings are there, it gives a little bit more, you say, like more a stake in there, said Defender Memo Diaz.

Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. Friday night at Southwest University Park.

There will be a postgame fireworks display to celebrate the 4th of July holiday.

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