Even after an hour-long weather delay, the atmosphere at The Lab was that of a playoff match. New Mexico United played host to Charleston Battery in a match that was evenly matched between the two Black & Yellow clubs, as they vied for a more secure spot in the standings. United held their own against the powerhouse attacking threats on the Battery roster, but were felled by two missed defensive opportunities on set pieces, surrendering two goals in the second half before falling, 1-2, and slipping out of first place for the first time since May.
For a match between two sides that had only met a few times in the past, there was plenty of tension between the two. It kicked off early when a hard foul by former United player Nannan Houssou took the legs out from under Mukwelle Akale in a dangerous way. In the 9th minute, Houssou came in for a challenge from behind on Akale in United’s defensive half, taking him out with significant force. The referee didn’t seem to think there was enough in the challenge to warrant anything other than a whistle, however.
That tension started to boil over as the match continued with Marlon Vargas, Ousman Jabang, and even Coach Dennis Sanchez earning yellow cards before the half was over. It could be argued that neither Jabang or Sanchez deserved theirs, but Vargas committed a hard foul as Battery was attempting to play out of their defensive third, earning his.
Houssou, for his efforts, did eventually pick up a yellow card in the 32nd minute. For the second time in the half, Houssou charged in from behind, this time taking out Gedion Zelalem right in front of the United bench.
The first half was by every measurable category essentially even. Neither side was able to find an advantage getting forward. United had chances, but they were stifled by the Battery defense, which was dropping ten players into the goal area, leaving only MD Myers forward. United was also plagued by missed opportunities. Twice in the middle of the opening period, Fernando had chances to square the ball to Amang in the middle, but left the pass behind his compatriot, killing the attack.
Quality chances were had to come by for either side until Battery finally found one in the 48th minute. As Jabang tried to clear a ball from the top of the area, the touch was somewhat lacking, leaving the ball for Jeremy Kelly. Kelly took the chance he was given and forced Alex Tambakis to make a diving save to his left, punching the ball out for a corner. On the ensuing set piece, the ball curled in toward the goal, and unfortunately took a touch off of Jabang and squirmed past Tambakis, putting Battery ahead, 0-1.
An equalizer would follow for United in the 63rd minute after Vargas was fouled by Aaron Molloy in the goal area, giving United a penalty. Once again, the man to take the shot was Talen Maples. As calmly as he could, Maples picked his spot and put the ball into the bottom right corner, leveling the match, 1-1.
Battery would capitalize on a questionable foul that was conceded by Amang near midfield in the 67th minute. Questionable or not, United needed to defend the set piece from an extremely long distance. The ball was sent in from near midfield to nearly the penalty mark, where Cal Jennings flicked it ahead and found Rubio Rubin. Rubin also headed the ball, putting it just out of reach of Tambakis, retaking the lead, 1-2.
A last-ditch effort by United came up just short in stoppage time. With time running down, the ball was played over the top in the 93rd minute of play looking for Fernando. The Brazilian was able to put a head to the ball, but put it off the crossbar, giving the Battery the win.
Attendance – 11,072
Man of the Match –
Talen Maples – Maples was once again called upon to make a play from the penalty mark. His ability to convert from the spot is a skill that is coveted around the sport. Maples continues to make his mark on United and the season with his efforts at both ends of the pitch.
Up Next –
United gets some time off before they return to action on July 26th. The return to play will see United face off against San Antonio FC in the final round of group play in the Jagermeister Cup. United will be seeking a win in this match, as it represents the clearest path forward for the club to get out of the group stage. There are other paths out of the group, but without a win, United would need no small amount of help from other matches. That match will take place at Toyota Field, with the match scheduled to kick off at 7 P.M. (MT).