After a long year of games in the United Soccer League, New Mexico United will have one last push before the quickly approaching playoffs. As the players suit up for the last couple of regular season games, nerves are at an all time high, and the wild west is ready for playoff time.
The United Soccer League (USL) has 24 teams, twelve in the west and twelve in the east. After 30 games the top eight teams from the east and west face off in a bracket style format. Whoever is the last team standing is the champion of the USL.
The season up to this point has been full of ups and downs for New Mexico United. Early in the season, United were top of the west, 13 games into the season, and looked like real title contenders. However nothing is as easy as it seems, and United learned that the hard way. The black and yellow started to drop easy points that they should be winning, one after another and soon they dropped all the way to ninth place. After going several games without a win in the regular season and the USL cup, tensions were at an all time high, and many fans thought that coach Denis Sanchez was the one to blame. In spite of that United are on a roll with four wins in the last six games. And the team is starting to peak at the right moment, which is key for their away game against Phoenix Rising in a crucial western conference battle.
New Mexico United needed big time players and big moments this season and that is just what some of the players brought to the team. A crucial player for New Mexico this season has been Kris Shakes. He plays in the goalie position and has single-handedly saved the team from dropping points multiple times. His marquee game was against the defending champion Colorado Springs Switchbacks, where he saved a penalty to save United from going 2-0 down. This penalty save kickstarted the team to score two goals to win the game. This is not to say that Alex Tambakis, another goalie for United, is not good, but during this season they have both been unbelievable with both of them playing about half the season. Another player that has been key to United’s season is striker Greg Hurst. He started the season with flying colors after he scored three goals in three games. He then tragically got a sports hernia which put him out for a large portion of the season. Since Greg Hurst has come back he has restored his form scoring six goals for United. Six goals might not sound like a lot, but with how much of the season he missed it has a big impact. These players have been critical for the season helping coach Denis Sanchez install a possession-based system of play.
As New Mexico United suits up for playoffs, so are their biggest competitors in the west. Their competition consists mainly of three teams: FC Tulsa, Sacramento Republic FC, and San Antonio FC. FC Tulsa leads the west in first place followed by Sacramento, who are one point ahead of United. Then there is San Antonio FC in fourth place, who are close to United, but trailing by three points. United’s next game is against Phoenix Rising on October fourth at Phoenix, and they are looking to add on to their momentum with a win. As the season barrels towards its finale, the wild west is spiraling into beautiful chaos, and United hopes to end the chaos at the top of the pile.
