There are plenty of reasons to watch the USL Championship. The return of Dennis Sanchez on Saturday with his new club, New Mexico United, is one of them. After giving Las Vegas Lights FC their best season in club history, Sanchez headed south and took the reins at New Mexico United. The two clubs opened the season in different directions, with the Lights winning their opener and United falling after a red card saw Kalen Ryden sent off.
The Lights have a lot of unknowns heading into this season. They lost their coach due a paperwork issue. They lost several of their best players from 2024. Yet, they managed to get lucky enough in their opener to pick up a win over Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Lights weren’t necessarily good, but they did enough to win.
This weekend, they will face a side that, at least to the eye, looked more together than the Rowdies did in week one. Las Vegas struggled in the attack and the turning point for them was via a mistake at the back by the Rowdies keeper. Defensively, the Lights failed to keep the Rowdies at bay and surrendered 21 shots to their opponents. That could be their downfall against a United side that in one week looked more like they wanted to take chances than they have in the past.
Player to Watch
Johnny Rodriguez – In a bit of a coup of a signing, the Lights managed to get Rodriguez from Oakland Roots late in the off season to try and reignite their offense from the season before. Rodriguez was kept quiet in the first week, but that won’t be the case all season long. Rodriguez will struggle on Saturday against one of the best defensive pairings in the league.
United’s season did not start the way they had hoped. Despite a promising first half and a lead on the road, captain Kalen Ryden was sent off late in the first half and will miss the match against Las Vegas. It was unfortunate as it cost United a chance at a win to start the season. They were dynamic in the first half and showed courage to take shots that they likely wouldn’t have in the past. Tomas Pondeca got involved early and rattled a shot off of the post. After the red card, United’s chances were limited, but played well defensively.
The downside to the matchup this week is that the Lights will be familiar with Sanchez’s tactics. Playing out of the back will be United’s MO this season as they try to draw opponents in before breaking their lines. Against the Lights, watch for Pondeca and McKenze Gaines to be more involved in trying to get forward and creating chances across the front. They can potentially exploit the back line of Vegas and get in early.
Player to Watch
Tomas Pondeca – The new United signing was impressive in his first match of the season. He was dynamic through the midfield and wasn’t afraid to get involved in the attack. He provides United with a chance to shoot from distance and can be an important piece going forward.
Saturday night’s match against Las Vegas Lights FC kicks off at 8:30 P.M. (MT) from Cashman Field.
