Finish line: FC Tulsa shuts down United's postseason run

The third time wasn’t the charm for New Mexico United on Saturday night. Instead it was the end of the line.

FC Tulsa took charge early and never relented on its way to a 3-0 victory over visiting United in Saturday’s USL Championship Western Conference Final at ONEOK Field. The Scissortails will host Pittsburgh in next week’s league championship match, while New Mexico’s remarkable 2025 run has reached its end.

United, which could have hosted next week’s title match with a win over Tulsa, never found a rhythm in its first-ever conference final. Tulsa improved to 3-0-0 against New Mexico this season and effectively had its number, outscoring NMU by a combined 9-2 margin.

Taylor Calheira scored twice and Jamie Webber netted a clinching late goal for top-seeded Tulsa, which outshot third-seeded United 19-9 overall and 9-0 in shots on target. New Mexico did not have a shot attempt until the 52nd minute.

“Hats off to Tulsa,” United coach Dennis Sanchez said. “We knew we were going to have to be strong on the ball but we couldn’t break their press consistently. That allowed them to build momentum and really just take control of the game.”

Sanchez talked during the week about the importance of maintaining control against the direct, physical Scissortails. Instead, Tulsa was able to pin United in its defensive end and turn mistakes into quality scoring chances.

NMU goalkeeper Kris Shakes came up with a pair of early saves, and defender Kalen Ryden was in position to clear Tulsa’s Lamar Batista off the line in the 26th minute, but the home team continued to apply pressure and it paid off in the 39th minute.

Tulsa intercepted a throw from Shakes and then caught him out of position with a pair of quick passes. Webber centered the ball to Calheira, who fired a shot between defenders Ryden and Kipp Keller and into the net for a 1-0 lead.

It remained 1-0 until halftime, which qualified as good fortune for New Mexico, which was outshot 12-0 in the first 45 minutes. United finally got its first attempt in the 52nd when Zico Bailey collected a centering pass from Dayonn Harris and fired, but his shot banged off a defender’s leg.

Tulsa made it 2-0 five minutes later when a deflected shot off a corner kick carried to Calheira on the right side of the 6-yard box. His shot crossed the line just before Ryden could get to it, doubling the Scissortails’ lead.

Sanchez sent four substitutes on in the 66th minute and United responded with a surge of pressure as it tried to get back in the game. Harris blasted a one-timer from close range that nearly made it 2-1, but the ball slammed off the crossbar and bounded away.

Tulsa got the clincher in the 76th minute when Webber came open on a lead pass from Alex Dalou and zipped a low shot past Shakes from the right wing.

The win was Tulsa’s 14th straight at home with the last five coming by shutout. New Mexico had its club-record nine-game unbeaten streak snapped, losing for the first time since a 1-0 defeat to Tulsa on Sept. 13 in Albuquerque.

Saturday’s result capped a successful first season with Sanchez at the helm and begins what figures to be an eventful offseason. Ryden and NMU fan favorite Daniel Bruce have announced their retirement with other significant roster changes likely to follow.

“We obviously didn’t play our best tonight, but I’m really proud of the way this group responded this season,” Sanchez said. “We laid a strong foundation and built an identity. A lot of our players had never been in this position and we’ll learn from it. We’ll be back.”