No one ever wins them all. Except for the Dolphins. When it comes to the beautiful game, there are far too many variable that come into play each and every week for a club to expect to go undefeated. New Mexico United has been perfect within their home state so far, they just need to figure out how to have the same fortune on the road.
The next test for United will come on the road when they face Memphis 901 FC, one of the newcomers to the Western Conference. Due to realignment in the offseason, Memphis was shuffled West and their welcome party hasn’t been very kind. With a third of their conference matches already out of the way, Memphis is 2-4-2 with their only wins coming against the lackluster sides Las Vegas and El Paso.
They will come into the weekend with a bit of momentum, having picked up 8 of a possible 15 points in their past five matches. The biggest problem for Memphis is their lack of consistency. They’ve split their record, whether home or away, and haven’t made the most of their chances. After losing Neco Brett for the season, they’ve had to turn to Marlon Santos in his absence. Santos has played well and represents the biggest threat to United. The forward won player of the month after contributing five goals and three assists during their recent run. He loves to shoot on his right and can take advantage of any space that he is allowed. United’s centrebacks will have to engage him and put as many obstacles in his way as they can if they want to prevent him from scoring.
Player to Watch
Emerson Hyndman – The former Atlanta United player made his way back to the USL in 2023 to prove he still had it. He did just that. Now, he’s paired up with the previously mentioned Marlon and they both give unique looks to Memphis. Hyndman may see significant minutes and can control the midfield for his side given the opportunity.
United are beginning quite possibly the busiest stretch of their season. Starting with the match against Memphis, the Black & Yellow have three matches in seven days, including a friendly against FC Juarez. Before United can get there though, they have to face another tough road trip. It will likely be the farthest East they will have to go until the playoffs, but the results when heading that direction have been mixed. At The Lab, there’s a sense of urgency and togetherness about this club. On the road, it seems to be lacking at times. That lack of cohesion came back to bite them in Monterey and they’ll look to avoid the same this weekend.
Last week, United saw the return of Kalen Ryden, Marco Micaletto, and Abu Danladi, each of whom had missed time due to injury. Only Danladi saw the pitch against Hartford, and the other two are presenting Eric Quill with a difficult decision, does he replace players who’ve played well, or does he give the nod to the veterans? There’s something to be said for consistency, and the duo of Talen Maples and Anthony Herbert is working wonders for United. The pair of them successfully shut down Switchbacks East last week and can do the same to Marlon this week.
Player to Watch
Anthony Herbert – This matchup against Marlon will be a test for United’s centrebacks. How they respond to a player as technically sound as Marlon will be crucial. Can they square up and keep him from turning on goal?
Coverage of Saturday’s match will begin with Adam Diehl and Andy Hageman on the pregame show at 5:30 PM (MT) and will continue with kickoff at 6:30 PM (MT). New Mexico United can be heard all season long on ESPN Radio 101.7 FM The TEAM, The TEAM website, and The TEAM apps.