Can a resurgent NM United take down first-place FC Tulsa?

FC Tulsa at New Mexico United, 7 p.m., Radio: 101.7 FM; TV: KASY (English), Estrella (Spanish); Streaming: KRQE.com, Golazo

Call it a statement opportunity.

Coming off perhaps its best performance of the season, New Mexico United hosts what has been the USL Championship Western Conference's best team in 2025. First-place FC Tulsa visits Isotopes Park on Saturday — the same Tulsa side that handed NMU a stinging 5-2 loss Aug. 9 in Oklahoma.

United is looking to extend a two-game winning streak and improve its positioning in the USL Championship's tightly bunched Western Conference standings. NMU (10-9-3, 33 points) is in third place just a point ahead of El Paso with Lexington at 31 points and three other clubs at 30.

Not only could a Saturday win give New Mexico a leg up in the playoff race, it could signal that coach Dennis Sanchez's side can be a force to contend with in the postseason.

"I think we're a confident group," Sanchez said. "We had a lot of new guys come in at midseason and it's taken some time to form relationships and figure out our strengths. We're starting to see that come together."

NMU was in top form in Wednesday's 4-0 win over Detroit City, getting goals of all varieties while posting its ninth shutout of the season. United scored on a rebound (Chris Gloster), a corner kick (Greg Hurst), a transition opportunity (Valentin Noel) and on Zico Bailey's 55-yard rocket that caught virtually everyone by surprise.

The question now becomes, what can United do for an encore on short rest against a top USLC contender?

Tulsa (12-4-7, 43 points) is a direct, physical bunch that ranks among the league leaders in shots (317), goals scored (30) and is first in fouls conceded with 386. (United ranks 16th with 311). The Scissortails are not known for patience, ranking last by far in the USLC with 6,609 passes. (United is second with 10,612).

"Tulsa's a good side, no doubt," NMU's Dayonn Harris said. "We can't take them for granted. The big things for us are just recovery and getting ready for another big test."

United will be playing its third match in an eight-day span, while Tulsa has not played since a 1-1 draw with Birmingham last Saturday. Sanchez was able to sub out some of Wednesday's starters early in the second half with NMU holding a 2-0 lead and may alter Saturday's lineup to keep fresh legs on the field as much as possible.

"That's always in the back of your mind," he said. "Our main focus is always on the game at hand, but we know it's a quick recovery to get ready for Saturday."

New Mexico's defense figures to be tested Saturday after putting together a solid stretch of three shutouts in its last four games. Alex Tambakis was back in goal for Wednesday's win after Kris Shakes had started NMU's previous five contests. Tambakis was diplomatic when asked about the competition for playing time.

"I support Kris just like he supports me," Tambakis said. "At the end of the day we're pros and we want to help the team any way we can."

NMU contained Tulsa's prolific offense for the first half of their Aug. 9 meeting. United led 2-1 at intermission with Tulsa's goal coming on a penalty kick. But the Scissortails showed their explosiveness in the second half, scoring three times in an eight-minute span to take control.

Will things be different at the Lab? United is expecting a large crowd for its annual Meow Wolf Night promotion and the players are hoping to give the home fans an entertaining show.

"I can't wait," Tambakis said. "Our fans will be amazing as they always are. Hopefully we can get them a win."

MILESTONE WATCH: Tambakis secured his 58th career clean sheet Wednesday to equal the USLC career record held by Evan Newton. Already the league's career saves leader, Tambakis needs one more shutout to surpass Newton, who is now retired. ... Midfielder Sergio Rivas is 30 minutes shy of reaching 10,000 for his career.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tulsa (12-4-7): Taylor Calheira continues to be the go-to attacker for Tulsa. He's justified that with 11 goals (fourth most in the USLC), 41 shots and 21 chances created. He also leads the league with 12 big chances missed, but Calheira is hardly the only dangerous member of a remarkably balanced club. The Scissortails have eight multiple-goal scorers, seven players with multiple assists and 10 with double-digit chances created. Little wonder they rank third in the league with 38 goals scored. Tulsa has also been solid defensively in front of primary goalkeeper Johan Peñaranda, who has six clean sheets. Physical defender Abdoulaye Cissoko has played a major role and leads the club in numerous categories: 111 clearances, 28 interceptions, 122 duels won and 1,765 minutes played. Cissoko also has a league-high 10 yellow cards.

New Mexico (10-9-3): Zico Bailey stole the show in Wednesday's 4-0 win over Detroit City FC with a dazzling 55-yard strike that earned top honors on ESPN's Sports Center Top 10. Still, there were other encouraging signs for an attack that has struggled to produce quality scoring chances at times this season. Among them were second-half goals by Greg Hurst and Valentin Noel that gave the home side a rare comfort margin. Hurst headed home the third goal on a corner kick delivered by Dayonn Harris — a shot in the arm for NMU, which has seen little success on set pieces in 2025. Hurst's fifth goal gave him the club lead over since-departed Luiz Fernando, who scored four in 16 appearances. Hurst has played 13 USLC matches this season. Noel's goal came in transition via a pass from Ousman Jabang, NMU's second such goal in as many games.

GOAL KICKS: Playing time will be interesting to watch Saturday as United goes for its third win in an eight-day span. NMU coach Dennis Sanchez employed his bench liberally in Wednesday's win over Detroit and may have to mix and match again versus Tulsa. Rotation changes have been frequent lately creating a tight race atop New Mexico's minutes-played race. The top five are: Mukwelle Akale 1,614, Talen Maples 1,608, Jaylin Lindsey 1,563, Will Seymore 1,539 and Zico Bailey 1,470. Valentin Noel (2,060) has played by far the most minutes of anyone on NMU's roster, but most came with Las Vegas Lights.