The midfield is the engine of any soccer team, and New Mexico United boasts a strong core of players to dictate the flow of the game in the 2024 USL Championship season. Let’s delve into some of the key midfielders:
- Central Midfielders:
- Nanan Houssou (BEN): A powerhouse in the center of the park, Houssou brings energy, tackling prowess, and box-to-box ability. His leadership and experience will be vital for controlling the tempo.
- Dayonn Harris (USA): A creative force, Harris is known for his technical skills, playmaking ability, and knack for scoring goals from midfield. Look for him to unlock defenses with his vision and passing range.
- Sergio Rivas (USA): Another returning veteran for United, Rivas has the unique ability to play from a deep lying midfield and drive the ball forward. When he’s playing with confidence, Rivas can be a force in the final third.
- Nicky Hernandez (USA): A fan favorite, Hernandez brings searing pace and trickery down the flanks. His ability to take on defenders and create scoring opportunities is a constant threat.
- Marco Micaletto (ITA): A versatile player, Micaletto can play on either wing or even as a second striker. His creativity, dribbling skills, and ability to finish will be valuable assets for NMU’s attack. “It was a different locker room where I was before, so I hope coming in here, you really have to understand that you’re part of something bigger. I want to do the best that I can to the best of my ability. Coming here, you know it’s a big club, but you don’t really know how big it is within the state until you get here.”
- Daniel Bruce (USA): One of the originals, and a fan favorite, Bruce starred early in Quill’s tenure at the 9 spot on the pitch after spending much of his time as a wing back. Bruce is dynamic on the pitch and has a relentless energy. “I loved playing further forward last year. Thats part of why we fall in love with the game, scoring goals. There’s a responsibility of playing in that role to score goals and I want to keep building on that.”
No offseason goes without seeing players depart from the club. This offseason was no different for United. With Eric Quill at the helm, it was expected to see a larger amount of turnover for his first full season. While some players were statistically bigger contributors to the results in 2023, others were fan favorites or defensive stalwarts that have said goodbye.
Key Departures
- Andy Thomas (GK) – Seattle Sounders (MLS)
- Ford Parker (GK) – Tormenta FC (USL League 1)
- Milo Garvanian (D) – Chattanooga FC (MLS NP)
- Austin Yearwood (D) – Retired
- Josh Suggss (D) – Retired
- Kyle Colonna (D)
- Sam Hamilton (M/D) – Retired
- Amando Moreno (M/F) – El Paso (USL C)
- Chris Wehan (M) – Released
- Jose Sosa (M) – LA Force (NISA)
- Andres Robles (M) – University of Central Arkansas
- Michael Wyparlo (M) – Slavoj Trebisov (MONACObet Liga)
- Miles Merritt (M) – University of the Incarnate Word
- Isaac Zuleta (M) – Miami FC (USL C)
- Santi Moar (F) – mutual termination
- Alex Waggoner (F) – University of Michigan
Stay tuned for the third part of our season preview as we get to know more players on the 2024 New Mexico United roster. Part three will also include a preview of the season opener this weekend against Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Adam Diehl and Andy Hageman will bring you every minute of every play starting with the pregame show at 1 pm on Saturday followed by kickoff at 2 pm on ESPN Radio 101.7 FM The TEAM, The TEAM website, or The TEAM apps.