New Mexico United is looking for a return to form this weekend when they face off against Monterey Bay FC.
After floundering against Birmingham Legion FC, United came face-to-face with some of their biggest issues this season. Against clubs that like to play narrow at the back, United struggles to get the ball into dangerous areas. Against Legion in particular, United kept trying to play the ball through the middle of the area and was unsuccessful every time. What they needed to do more of was play out wide and attempt to draw Legion out of their shape. Zach Prince and his club failed to make the necessary adjustments in order to defend The Lab.
Now, United is back out on the road. This time out, they face basement dweller Monterey Bay FC on their home turf. Monterey comes into the weekend on a four-match losing streak. Despite being at the bottom of the Western Conference, Monterey has been showing signs of life. In their last three matches, they have put five goals past opposing keepers and pushed their opponents to the brink. One of the reasons for the chances they are getting has been the play of James Murphy. The New Jersey native has consistently found ways to get involved in the run of play and leads his side with twenty-two chances created on the season. If United can limit his opportunities to get onto the ball, they should be able to control more of the midfield.
Player to Watch
Dallas Jaye – Jaye has emerged as Monterey’s number one and helps direct a set of veteran defenders. While the unit still has work to do, having veterans at the back will benefit Monterey in the long run.
To this point in the season, United has been better on the road than at The Lab. Which is not necessarily a good thing for the Black & Yellow. It does give a reason for the United faithful to believe that they can bounce back this weekend. Still, with matches multiple matches in hand against most of the Western Conference, this should be a golden opportunity to pick up points against a struggling side. Prince and his club will have taken a long look at how they played against Legion FC and made changes during the week.
Those changes have to come from the midfield. United cannot allow itself to fall into the trap of only playing through the middle. United is at their best when they are moving the ball from side to side and spreading defenders apart. When they are able to create space, it allows Neco Brett, Christ Wehan, and others to find open areas in which to move. Brett and others can pick apart the Monterey defenders and put an improved attack into dangerous areas.
Player to Watch
Justin Portillo – After the midfield struggles last week, Portillo will need to step up and make plays. Portillo has shown that he can put the ball into tight areas and his distribution will leave opponents guessing where the ball will go. With an improved performance from him, United will put themselves into better scoring opportunities.
Saturday night’s match is scheduled to kickoff at 8 p.m. (Mountain) from Cardinale Stadium. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+ for domestic viewers and on YouTube internationally. The match will also be broadcast live on ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM, via The TEAM app, and The TEAM website.