After two weeks since their last league match, New Mexico United hoped to get back on the winning path against an improving Pittsburgh Riverhounds. United stuck to their game plan of inviting pressure to try and break on their opponents and control possession. On this night, it didn’t work. The Riverhounds capitalized on a poor pass in the defensive third to pick up a 1-0 win over United.
New Mexico United has not been great heading East. Since inter-conference play began, United’s trips to the East Coast have had mixed results. Going up against Pittsburgh Riverhounds was always going to be a tall task for them to pick up any points. United was convinced that they were playing their game, but it didn’t result in any sort of pressure on the Riverhounds.
Instead, it was the Riverhounds, with only 33% possession in the first half that dictated the flow of the opening segment. Several times, the hosts were able to play Augie Williams into dangerous areas, beating United from the outside. In the 24th minute, the forward received a ball at the perfect height to put a header on frame. It looked destined for the near corner, but he couldn’t keep it on line, and it went out for a goal kick.
Around that, the Riverhounds would put two more shots off the woodwork in the 20th and 38th minutes. Guillaume Vacter would be the man to hit the post both times. The first went off the left and was from a header. The latter hits the right post with a left-footed shot from the centre of the box. Having escaped twice, United found themselves giving up far more chances than they would have liked.
Pittsburgh was likely lucky to have finished the half with eleven men on the pitch after a foul in the 26th minute by Williams. As the ball was played out of the Riverhounds’ defensive half, a long ball looked to be falling to Will Seymore. Before he could play the ball, Williams, with no regard to where the ball was or even bothering to look for it, slammed into Seymore. The referee determined that it wasn’t even a yellow despite the lack of intent to play the ball.
Williams would go off the post for the third time for the hosts in the 62nd minute. In a play that shouldn’t have happened, Robbie Mertz had cleared a ball out of the Riverhounds’ defensive area, and Williams was offside, but the referee didn’t call it. That allowed Williams to break free and shoot from the right side of the goal, hitting the left post.
As United continued to invite pressure, the Riverhounds felt freer to do as they pleased in the attacking half. That pressure, combined with slow decision-making, allowed the Pittsburgh side to break the deadlock in the 73rd minute. As the ball was stolen off of Gedion Zelalem, Danny Griffin played the ball to the left side of the area for Williams, who put a shot on frame that Alex Tambakis saved. The rebound fell to Mertz, who slotted home for the lead, 1-0.
Attendence – 5,626
Player of the Match
Augie Williams – Williams was a terror for the Riverhounds. He was consistently in dangerous areas and appeared to outplay everyone on United’s defensive line. Despite not getting a goal, he was involved heavily in the game plan for Bob Lillie and worked the night to perfection.
Up Next
United will return home to face off against another Eastern Conference opponent, Charleston Battery, for their next league match. Coverage of that match will begin at 6 P.M. on Saturday, July 12 (MT) with the pregame show with Adam Diehl and Andy Hageman. The match will kick off from The Lab at 7 P.M. (MT). Catch every minute of every play all season long on ESPN Radio 101.7 FM The TEAM, The TEAM apps, and The TEAM website.