El Paso’s Pepi and Zendejas Shared the World Cup Stage

The final score may not have gone Team USA's way, but for El Paso, Thursday night still felt like a win.

The United States fell to Turkey 3-2 in its final Group D match of the FIFA World Cup, ending an entertaining back-and-forth game on a heartbreaking goal in the final moments. On paper, it was a loss.

In El Paso, though, the mood was a little different.

Because while Team USA may have come up short, Thursday night gave the Borderland something much bigger than three points in the standings. It gave El Paso another reminder that this city has become part of the World Cup story.

Alejandro Zendejas Made His World Cup Debut

In the 77th minute, Alejandro Zendejas entered the match and officially became a World Cup player.

For most fans, it was simply another substitution. In El Paso, it was a moment worth celebrating.

Fans gathered all over El Paso to watch the game together. The loudest cheers of the night came when Ricardo Pepi's name was announced in the starting lineup. Then came another special moment when Zendejas checked into the game.

For a few minutes, two players with deep El Paso ties shared the field on soccer's biggest stage.

From El Paso Schools To Soccer's Biggest Stage

Long before he was making his World Cup debut, Zendejas was just another kid growing up in the Borderland.

He played on the fields at Tippin Elementary and Hornedo Middle School before being recruited to the FC Dallas youth academy at just 13 years old.

Now, he and fellow El Pasoan Ricardo Pepi finally got the chance to show everyone what kind of talent can come from the Borderland.

Alejandro Zendejas' World Cup Week Included A Golf Cart Ride

As if making your World Cup debut wasn't memorable enough, Zendejas' week had already taken an unexpected turn.

A few days before Thursday's match, Zendejas, Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie left the team hotel in Southern California in search of pizza. When they tried getting back, a major traffic accident had shut down part of the Pacific Coast Highway.

According to ESPN, the players considered their options and eventually found themselves inside a golf cart dealership.

The owner didn't even recognize the trio at first. But when fans began asking for pictures, he realized he had three members of Team USA standing in his shop. As luck would have it, he happened to be delivering a golf cart in the same direction as the team hotel and offered the players a ride back.

That feels like the perfect side quest before a World Cup debut!

The United States may have lost Thursday night's match, but for a few minutes, the World Cup belonged to El Paso. And that's a score that won't show up on the scoreboard.