Nearly five months to the day after the 2022 season ended for New Mexico United, they are back on the pitch for the opening match of the 2023 regular season. A week behind the rest of the league, United may have an advantage over their first opponent, The Miami FC.
Miami began their season by taking on former United defender Rashid Tetteh and his new club, FC Tulsa. In their opener, Miami looked to control possession with their 3-4-2-1 formation and did a good job of it. They spread the pitch and played from the wide areas, looking to link up with Florian Valot or Kyle Murphy. Of the attacking options, it was only Valot that was able to break through despite Miami peppering the goal area with sixteen shots.
Defensively, Miami forced Tulsa to play primarily on the wings and didn’t allow them space through the middle. Miami’s back three was bolstered by the wide play of Ryan Teller and Mark Segbers. The shifts of those two players allowed Valot and Dennis Dowouna to lock down the middle of the pitch, keeping Tulsa from getting comfortable.
Player to Watch
Claudio Repetto – The former Battery man made his way to Miami after spending part of the 2022 season with Phoenix Rising. Despite a less-than-stellar performance in the desert, Repetto’s numbers during his time in Charleston show why he’s an attacking threat. United has seen Repetto in the past and should be aware of what he brings to the pitch.
New Mexico United didn’t sit on their laurels this offseason and made a number of moves to help remake a roster that saw the majority of the forwards move on at the season’s end. Josh Dolling and Alex Waggoner were welcomed in as new signings, Waggoner on an Academy contract. United also made a splash in the transfer market, sending two international roster slots to Phoenix in return for Greg Hurst and securing the return of Santi Moar. The return of Moar may play a big role in the season opener.
After Miami looked to force their week one opponent to play wide, United will look to take advantage of this. United has always enjoyed the wider areas of the pitch and the legs of Moar and Daniel Bruce can provide plenty of opportunities to get the ball into the danger area. This year, the addition of Dolling and Hurst gives United more height in front of the goal and should give them a better chance to win the ball in the box. If the preseason performance of United is any indication, the attacking options are plentiful for the Black & Yellow.
At the defensive end, United return Kalen Ryden, Josh Suggs, and Austin Yearwood as anchors on the back line. Joining them is the 6’3 Swiss defender Timothie Zali and collegiate standout Kyle Colonna. The two newcomers were standouts during the preseason and could be big additions to the defensive efforts of United. Historically, United has run three at the back and made use of fullbacks to get the ball forward in transition. It remains to be seen if Head Coach Zach Prince will change his tactics from previous seasons, but expect to see either a back three or back four against a Miami side that likes to play into the middle of the pitch.
Player to Watch
Santi Moar – After breaking the hearts of supporters when he left for Phoenix, Moar’s stats took a dip in 2022. While it appears the drop was due to other issues within Rising, Moar has a chance to return to form on familiar grounds. Moar’s ability to cut back onto his right foot is well known, but he’s shown that he can be nearly as effective with his left. Watch for Moar to work the wide areas and try to get the ball in spaces to take advantage of the height in the box.
United’s season is set to begin at 5 p.m. (MT) on Saturday from Riccardo Silva Stadium in Miami. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN+ for domestic viewers and on YouTube internationally. Locally, the match will also be broadcast live on ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM, via The TEAM app, and The TEAM website.