This will be the two clubs first meeting in history
Albuquerque- After over a month New Mexico United is back playing a match at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park. New Mexico’s run in the Prinx Tires USL Cup begins on Saturday night against USL League 1 side AV Alta. This will be the two teams first meeting in history.
Bienvenidos
AV Alta is one of the USL’s newest teams. The Southern California side kicked off for the first time in 2025 and play in Lancaster, California. While they call Lancaster home they are a regional team that represents the Antelope Valley region of Southern California. It is known for its space ventures and Poppy flower reserve that blooms every spring. Their home ground is Lancaster Municipal Stadium and is nicknamed “The Hanger”. It is the former home of Colorado Rockies Class A team the Lancaster JetHawks. After the JetHawks folded in 2021 the stadium was converted to a soccer specific stadium. Even though this will be the first meeting on the pitch this isn’t the first time the two organizations have interacted. During United’s 2024 Open Cup run AV Alta’s leadership group joined New Mexico fans in LA for their match up against LAFC.
What is the Prinx Tires USL Cup
The Prinx Tires USL Cup (formerly the Jaegermeister Cup) is a World Cup style tournament made up of teams from USL League 1 and USL Championship. The teams are split into 7 groups with the top teams in every group and one wild card team moving onto the next round. Last year the title was won by Hartford Athletic. United’s group this year consists of AV Alta, Orange County SC, Colorado Springs Switchbacks, Phoenix Rising, and El Paso Locomotive. United will play two home games (AV Alta 4/25 & Phoenix Rising 6/6) and two on the road (Colorado Springs 5/16 & El Paso Locomotive 7/11).
Home Sweet Home
They say that home is where the heart is and boy is United happy to be back around the black and yellow faithful. United is looking to get the offense rolling going into spring and will look to Greg Hurst to get the scoring party started. Hurst who scored some key goals for United last season is looking to net his first of 2026. Dayonn Harris has been a vital part of the United formula early this year being a key sub for Dennis Sanchez’s side. Harris won the March Prinx Impact Sub of the Month thanks to his performance against Colorado Springs. The Toronto native has shown he can score as he became the first player in United history to score the last goal at home in one season and the first in another.
Scouting The Opponent
AV Alta FC has started the USL League 1 season winless in 6 tries. They come into the match with a 0-4-2 (W-D-L) record. In the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup they lost 1-0 to UPSL side Valley 559 in the First Round of the competition. However the pride of Antelope Valley has a lethal attack with Adam Aoumaich and Jerry Desdunes combining for goals each in five appearances. One thing to note is that this will be the highest altitude AV Alta FC has ever played at. Lancaster, California sits at 2,359 feet while Albuquerque sits at a nice 5,312 feet above sea level.
Where to Watch
In Person: Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park
TV: MY50 and Estrella TV
Streaming: ESPN+ and KRQE.com
Radio:101.7 The Team
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