PATRIOTS MAKE CHANGE
El Paso Names Javier McDonald Interim Coach,
Murillo Offered Academy Directorship

The El Paso Patriots have tabbed Javier McDonald as the team’s interim head coach.

The 42-year-old takes over the Premier Development League coaching reins from Miguel Murillo, who maintains the option of staying on as Director of the popular Patriots Soccer Academy .  

McDonald, a native of Chihuahua City, CH, Mexico, was a member of the 1989 UTEP Miners club soccer team that won a national championship and has been a scout for America and Atlas of the Mexican First Division. 

A longtime youth coach in El Paso, McDonald won three state championships with his youth teams, and has won a number of tournament titles in both the and his native.

In 1993, McDonald earned his coaching diploma from the FMF – the Mexican Soccer Federation. McDonald was head coach at Cathedral High School from 2000-2003. 

The Patriots return home this weekend after a disappointing three-game road swing that saw the team score only twice while allowing six goals – each opponent scoring twice in each game. 

The 2005 Southern Conference champion and PDL finalist, the El Paso Patriots will try to improve on a 2-4-2 record. El Paso ’s eight points leaves them just one point out of the Mid-South Division cellar going into a weekend doubleheader against the DFW Tornados. Friday night saw the Patriots lose, 2-0, to Mid-South Division leaders Austin in the Texas capital, 2-0. 

The Tornados won a contentious match against an undermanned but game Patriots team, 2-1, Saturday night at Pennington Field in suburban Dallas . DFW’s Christopher Hamilton put the home team up, 1-0, on a nine-man El Paso team after defender Jamie Cunningham and midfielder Trevor Eastman were ejected in the 62nd and 86th minutes, respectively; only to have Roland Alexander equalize for the visitors in the 89th. 

One minute later, referee Matt Forster red-carded Antonio Barrera, and Dustin Lemley was able to capitalize on the eight men left for the Patriots, scoring in stoppage time.

Revenge will certainly be on El Paso ’s mind with two cracks at DFW (3-4-1, 10 points) this Friday, June 13th, and Saturday, June 14th. Friday night will be International Soccer Patriots free tee shirt night and Saturday, Dad can win a free grill.  Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. MDT both nights. Details can be found at www.elpaso-patriots.com.