The question of the week around New Mexico is will the Eric Quill-led United be able to defeat Sacramento Republic FC and become the first team in the Western Conference to clinch a spot in the playoffs. They had a chance to do it on the road against Detroit City FC over the weekend, but they couldn’t make it happen with nearly 70% possession. The stakes are high for the Wednesday night clash between the top two clubs in the West.
In a strange turn, this is the first meeting of the season between the clubs after the initial meeting was rescheduled due to both clubs making a deep run into the Open Cup this season. Just a few short weeks ago, New Mexico was the club with matches in hand making a run at the top. Now, they’re atop the pack with the rest of the conference chasing after them. Sacramento has the match in hand now and they seem to be the club with the right momentum. Republic are coming off of a win that closed the gap between themselves and United to seven points.
Three points in either direction could swing control of the West.
Three points for Sacramento means they would sit only four points back with a match in hand and still hold a rematch in their back pockets. Like United, they don’t rely on a single player at the top of the formation. They’ve relied on a trio of goal-scorers to power their offense. Their strength this season has been the play across the back, with a defense that is led by Danny Vitiello between the posts. To call him stingy is an understatement. 18 goals conceded in 23 appearances is near the top of the league and will prove to be hard to beat.
Player to Watch
Danny Vitiello – The one time New Mexico keeper has continued to make a name for himself since leaving the club. Vitiello is having one of the best seasons on record, and is in the running for the Golden Gloves. He’s averaging 0.78 goals against and could potentially repeat for the award. This is one of the toughest keepers in the league, and United will have a har time beating him.
A win for New Mexico would strengthen their hold on the West, one that they’ve held for months. Being given a chance to go 10 points clear with only six matches left would give them a strong chance to clinch a top-two spot if not home-field advantage through the Western Conference bracket. Given that United heads into the week with one of the best home records in the league, 9-2-2, home-field advantage in the playoffs should be the goal for Quill’s club.
As deep as this club has been all season, there’s not a single star on the roster. Sure, within New Mexico the players are recognized and known, but no one has been the player that gets singled out. This roster has a lot of components that work well together, but when some of the pieces are missing, it’s harder for them to get the results. Case in point, Saturday against Detroit City. United was without leading scorer Greg Hurst and was instead led by Jacobo Reyes. The problem on Saturday was that there was no central presence, commanding the attention of the defenders. Daniel Bruce didn’t start, which left United without a dynamic playmaker for much of the night. They did have the debut of Marlon Vargas, who probably provided the highlight of the night for the turquoise-clad club.
It will be interesting to see what happens on Wednesday and what team sheet Quill sends out. United will have to force Republic out of position if they want to clinch. Republic has the best defense in the league, allowing only 22 goals on the season. There’s no magic formula for this one – be creative, attack from the wide areas, force mistakes. This will be a tough test for United at both ends of the pitch, and one they certainly can’t overlook.
Player to Watch
Marlon Vargas – After looking confident in his debut for United, Vargas could be a key contributor for the rest of the season. He looked dangerous and provided a spark at times. He’ll have to be worked into the matches a bit more, especially at home, but he can potentially open up space and opportunities for the forwards with his work around the top of the area.
Coverage of Wednesday’s match will begin with the pregame show starring Adam Diehl and Andy Hageman at 6 p.m. (MT). Following the pregame show, coverage of the match will begin at 7 p.m. with the pair bringing every minute of the action. Catch New Mexico United all season long on ESPN Radio 101.7 FM The TEAM, The TEAM website, and The TEAM apps.