The hardest week of New Mexico United’s season so far is here. Three matches in eight days, including two against playoff-caliber clubs will be quite the test for Eric Quill’s group of men. Despite having periods of lackluster play against El Paso before walking away with the win, the club should have plenty of confidence heading into this stretch of the season.
The first club to visit The Lab this week is Las Vegas Lights FC. When they get to Albuquerque on Wednesday night, it won’t be the same team that United faced earlier in the season. This is a club that’s unbeaten since May 25. The new ownership and the newfound sense of cohesion have the Lights currently in the playoff positions and they don’t look to be slowing down. While their playoff position is a bit precarious, the talent on this team is capable as long as they can stay consistent.
This is a club that has been rebuilt and is relying heavily on the play from its midfield. The forwards on their roster haven’t been much more the decoys for most of the season. All but four of their goals have come from the midfield, and Valentin Noel is leading the way. They’ll likely pressure the midfield and look to break down United through the gaps between defenders.
Player to Watch
Charlie Adams – After three great seasons with San Diego Loyal, Adams has split time between FC Tulsa and Las Vegas this season. He’s a box-to-box midfielder, much like Marco Micaletto. He can drive from defensive areas and create in the final third for Lights.
Despite getting the win over the weekend, United didn’t look great. They came out of the gate slow and didn’t seem to be enthusiastic about the match. It took them time to play into what some described as a trap game for the Black & Yellow. They did finally find their groove and got a spark from Daniel Bruce throughout the second half to propel them to the win. United once again tried to play from the outside in and while it resulted in the second goal, the shooting on the night wasn’t top-notch.
El Paso tried to play wide as well, using Amando Moreno on the left wing. In stark contrast to that, Las Vegas will try to play through the middle, which is part of United’s strength on the pitch. With the return of Zico Bailey from his suspension, the midfield will be even stronger. They’ll need to be technical and crisp with their pass and try to spread the Lights. Las Vegas can get into trouble once they get pushed back into their defensive third. They can get pulled out of shape and surrender a fair number of goals when they get disorganized.
Player to Watch
Zico Bailey – Control of the midfield will be key. Bailey will need to try to slow down the attack by dropping deeper and closing down the passing lanes. A key interception could potentially spring United on a counter and put the Lights on their heels.
Coverage of United’s match against Las Vegas will begin with the pregame show starring Adam Diehl and Andy Hageman. The pregame show starts at 6 p.m. (MT) and will be followed by every minute of the game, starting with kickoff at 7 p.m. Every minute of every play can be heard exclusively on ESPN Radio 101.7 FM The TEAM, The TEAM website, and The TEAM apps.
