New Mexico United faces off against Hartford Athletic in a cross-conference clash this Wednesday. The Black & Yellow are coming off a penalty shootout win against San Antonio FC Saturday in the final round of USL Jägermeister Cup group play.
United currently sits third in the USL Championship Western Conference table, and looks to pick their first league win since June 21. The last time New Mexico and Hartford met was in 2024, a match that ended in a 1-0 win for United in front of nearly 11,000 fans. With United’s aim to regain first place in the West and Hartford’s urgency to finish in playoff contention, the contest this Wednesday promises to be another intense affair for NMU.
Players to watch:
Newcomer Valentin Noël is a player to watch in this mid-week clash. The midfielder scored a crucial goal coming off the bench in his debut for the Black & Yellow last weekend against San Antonio FC in Jägermeister Cup action. Another player to keep an eye on is winger Dayonn Harris. The 27-year-old marked his return from an ACL injury that kept him on the sidelines for almost a year with a goal that took United to penalties. Thanks to his heroic contribution, United went on to win the game in the shootout.
Tambakis Milestone Watch:
Goalkeeper Alex Tambakis is one save away from becoming the first keeper to reach 650 saves in USL Championship history. The Greek Goat is also two clean sheets away from setting the record for most shutouts in USL Championship regular season history. If he notches one Wednesday, he will tie current clean sheet leader Evan Newton.
About Hartford Athletic:
Hartford Athletic looks to find a rhythm after a string of inconsistent results. Despite sitting at the bottom of the table, they have shown flashes of danger in attack. The one-two punch striker pairing of Kyle Edwards and Mamadou Dieng has contributed nine goals this season. HFD’s defense has been aggressive, averaging a league high 9.1 interceptions per match.
Up Next For United:
After this midweek matchup, United travels to Oklahoma facing off against FC Tulsa. United’s next home match is on Saturday, Aug 16, against the Las Vegas Lights FC, which will mark New Mexico United’s 100th match at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park.
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