Clinching moment? United hopes to lock up playoff spot in Phoenix

Saturday, 8 p.m., Radio: 101.7 FM; TV: KASY (English), Estrella (Spanish); Streaming: KRQE.com, ESPN+

One more for the road?

One more win on the road seems a bit more appealing to New Mexico United this week.

United visits rival Phoenix Rising FC on Saturday night for its last regular-season road trip of 2025. NMU plays its final three matches at Isotopes Park, but coach Dennis Sanchez and his team have a chance to make their trip to the Arizona desert one to remember.

With a win Saturday, New Mexico can clinch a spot in USL Championship playoffs and improve its odds of hosting a first-round postseason game. A victory would also give United (12-10-4) a winning road record for the season and avenge a 2-1 home loss to Rising on May 10.

Asked if the chance to clinch a playoff spot on a rival's home pitch adds extra spice to this matchup, United forward Marlon Vargas smiled.

"Oh, for sure," he said. "It kind of reminds me of our (Sept. 24) game against the (Colorado Springs) Switchbacks. We came back to win on their field and everyone was buzzing, feeling good. Going to Phoenix is never easy, but it's a rivalry game and a chance for us to have that feeling again. We're excited."

United has found a spark of late, going 4-1-1 in its last six games to climb into third place in the USL Championship Western Conference standings. It's a stark turnaround after the club endured a seven-match winless streak in July-August that sent it spiraling from first place to a tie for eighth.

Injuries and personnel moves played a role in NMU's struggles, but defender Talen Maples believes United simply needed some positive results to turn things around.

"It's not that we didn't have confidence in ourselves," Maples said, "but you want to see good things happen, start feeling like you can get on a roll. When we were struggling, we kept telling ourselves this kind of thing happens to every team during the season. The goal is to play your best at the right time. Hopefully we're doing that."

Phoenix (7-7-12) also is facing crunch time as it tries to stay above the playoff line. Rising comes into Saturday in seventh place and has been spinning its wheels with five consecutive ties. Phoenix is 1-2-7 in its last 10 appearances with just one win since July 12.

"They're fighting for their playoff lives," Sanchez said, "but so are we. We've been improving and gaining confidence, but we haven't played to our full potential yet. We still have a lot to prove to ourselves."

United's recent surge has been fueled primarily by defense, with opponents scoring multiple goals just once in its last eight games. New Mexico limits foes' scoring chances with a possession-heavy approach. Sanchez's club leads the USLC in total passes (12,939) and is tied for first with 85% passing accuracy.

Sanchez believes controlling the ball will be even more critical than usual against Phoenix, which ranks third in the USLC with 45 goals scored and thrives in transition.

"We have to control the lines and not allow those transition moments," he said.

However, it's also key for New Mexico to remain aggressive in its pass-heavy attack. Even during its recent hot streak, NMU has had lengthy stretches of conservative passing without generating many scoring chances or shots.

Vargas is confident those chances will come against a Phoenix club that's allowed more goals (47) than any other team in the USLC.

"We know we can score against them," he said. "We're in a good rhythm now and building confidence. It definitely stung when we lost to them at home and we felt like we deserved more in that game. But this is the most important time of the season and that's our biggest focus. We want to catch fire right now."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New Mexico (12-10-4): With few exceptions, United's back line has been solid of late — in spite of injuries that have sidelined center backs Kalen Ryden and Kipp Keller. NMU has not allowed multiple goals since a 2-0 loss to Sacramento on Aug. 30 — the only time it's happened in New Mexico's last eight games. Talen Maples and Will Seymore have performed well in the middle, with Chris Gloster and Jalen Lindsey doing an effective job on the wings and taking pressure off goalkeeper Kris Shakes. Maples also contributed his fourth goal of the season Sunday against Lexington, tying him with departed Luiz Fernando for second most on the club. All of Maples' goals have come on PKs. On the attacking end, Marlon Vargas and Mukwelle Akale have stepped up their play during NMU's 4-1-1 stretch. They've combined for 63 chances created.

Phoenix (7-7-12): There haven't been many dull moments for Rising, which has 92 combined goals (scored and conceded) in its 26 games — by far the most of any USL Championship club. Phoenix's attacking line is formidable and tends to make its shots count with a league-best 23% conversion rate despite attempting just 253 shots (21st in the USLC). Forward Ihsan Sacko leads the way with 7 goals scored, but midfielder Hope Avayevu has been an anchor for Rising this season. The Ghana native has scored 6 goals (one in Phoenix's 2-1 win in Albuquerque on May 10) and leads his club with 9 assists, 30 shots, 46 chances created and 2,088 minutes played. Veterans Remi Cabral and Charlie Dennis have combined for 11 goals. Primary goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky has been busy with 53 saves and 38 goals conceded in 22 appearances.

GOAL KICKS: After playing sparingly in August, Maples has regained his status as United's iron man for 2025. Maples played more than 200 minutes in last week's wins over Colorado Springs and Lexington and has a team-leading 1,968 minutes played this season. Seymore (1,849), Akale (1,846) and Jaylin Lindsey (1,833) are Maples' closest pursuers. Valentin Noel (2,161) has logged the most minutes, but most of his came with Las Vegas Lights FC. ... United may catch a break with its Saturday visit to Phoenix with a high temperature forecast at 90 degrees. The high mark exceeded 100 Thursday and Friday.