May 3 – Saturday, 8:30 pm, 101.7 FM, ESPN+ (streaming), Estrella TV
If there is an ideal time to be defeated, this is not it for New Mexico United.
Facing three matches in an eight-day period, United limp into Saturday night’s away game against Las Vegas Lights FC ready to put their depth to the test. Injuries, both major and minor, make the next step even more challenging as NMU faces two USL Championship matches and Wednesday’s US Open Cup meeting with MLS Real Salt Lake.
“We are a little concerned about players not being available,” said United manager Eric Quill. “There’s probably a little bit of mental fatigue in the locker room as well, with all the traveling we’ve done. But that’s the challenge we face and we’re ready to face it. Las Vegas is the only destination this week and all of our energies are focused in that.”
New Mexico (4-2-1) could bounce back against Lights FC (3-5-0) after a tough few days. United trailed a 3-0 decision last week in Tampa Bay and two days later announced that popular Albuquerque native Cristian Nava re-injured his surgically repaired knee and will miss the rest of the season.
“Our guys are heartbroken for their brother,” Quill said. “I feel bad for him because I know how hard Cristian worked to come back. If there’s a silver lining it’s that he’s young (20). The guys came back from two ACLs and had great careers.”
Nava, Kalen Ryden and Abu Danladi will not play on Saturday, Quill said, but the injury list is unlikely to stop there. Several NMU players are dealing with lingering injuries and were still being evaluated on Friday. That group likely includes Daniel Bruce and Harry Swartz, who missed last week’s match, and Sergio Rivas, who has been battling a hamstring problem.
As a result, United made a squad addition on Friday, signing defender Abdi Mohamed to a 25-day contract. A former Columbus Crew 2 teammate of United midfielder Marco Micaletto, 27-year-old Mohamed will be available for selection on Saturday.
Despite the week of adversity, United’s players are looking forward to the next calendar.
“I think Tampa Bay was a wake-up call for us,” forward Greg Hurst said. “They’re a fantastic team and they’ve proven that year after year, but that’s the level we want to reach. We’ve been excellent at stages this year, but we have to try to get more consistency.”
Las Vegas can make the same claim. Lights FC turned heads in the USL Championship with a three-game winning streak that included wins over El Paso, Oakland and San Antonio, but the club has since lost three in a row. Las Vegas was defeated 6-0 by top scorer Charleston last week.
“We’re both coming off disappointing losses,” Quill said. “This game will test the mentality of both clubs.”
Lights FC has revamped its roster and approach under first-year head coach Dennis Sanchez. It’s a possession-heavy strategy that has Las Vegas fourth in the USLC in passing, but Quill doesn’t plan on letting the home team get comfortable on Saturday night.
“If we let them do this, it’s going to be a long night,” he said. “We want to pressure them and turn them over on the first few passes. We need to come out early and pressure them.”
It’s been an effective game plan against Las Vegas, which ranks second to last in the USLC with 16 goals conceded. The seven goals Lights FC allowed in the first half is a league record.
Players to watch
New Mexico (4-2-1): Determining players to watch is something of a crapshoot for United, largely due to injuries. Defenders Arturo Astorga and Talen Maples are the only ones to have played all 630 minutes in USL Championship competition. Several NMU players are on the questionable list this week with nagging illnesses. The one who has been relatively healthy is midfielder Marco Micaletto, who started all matches and is fourth in minutes played (607). Micaletto has been on the ball a lot, leading the club in passes (372) and chances created (9), but United have not been able to make the most of his playing ability. Micaletto has one goal, one assist and five shots and could benefit from more touches in the attacking zone. Dayonn Harris has been a key player lately and shares the club lead in shots (12) with Greg Hurst.
Las Vegas (3-5-0): Anyone who has a copy of last season’s Lights FC roster can throw it in the trash. The club opted for a complete rebuild after finishing 2023 3-21-10 – new coach, new philosophy and a host of new players. So far so good, as Las Vegas has already matched last season’s win total, but the club is still adapting to its new identity and is currently mired in a three-game losing streak. There are some familiar faces (from other teams) on the LVFC roster, including former league MVP Solomon Asante, who starred for Phoenix and Indy but hasn’t scored this season. Newcomers Gaoussou Samake and Valentin Noel have been performing their best so far. Samake, defender, has two goals, two assists and nine chances created, while midfielder Noel leads the team with three goals, 13 shots and 11 chances created.
Noteworthy: Lights FC goaltender Raiko Arozarena is the younger brother of Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena. Both were born in Cuba. … Despite last season’s struggles, Las Vegas held its own against New Mexico, tying both meetings. … Through four home dates, Lights FC ranks second to last in attendance in the USLC with 1,531 per game.
