Fitting finale: United hosts Rhode Island for 'Blackout Night'

Friday, 7 p.m., TV: Estrella (Spanish); Streaming: KRQE.com, ESPN+ (No radio)

Black certainly seems an appropriate color for New Mexico United's Friday night matchup with Rhode Island FC.

Not only is it the regular-season finale, but United will bid farewell to retiring fan favorite Daniel Bruce in an autumn contest one week from Halloween. Fittingly, NMU has scheduled a Blackout Night promotion and is asking fans to wear black to the match.

Aside from the obvious sense of finality, United and Rhode Island come into Friday's contest looking ahead. Both clubs have clinched USL Championship playoff berths, both are riding six-game unbeaten streaks and both would dearly love to carry momentum into the postseason.

New Mexico cannot alter its playoff position. Sacramento's midweek win over Charleston locked United into the No. 3 position for round one. NMU will host the Western Conference's No. 6 seed in round one Nov. 1 at Isotopes Park.

Rhode Island can still finish seventh or eighth in the Eastern Conference but would avoid facing No. 1 overall seed Louisville in round one by finishing seventh.

Tangibly, Rhode Island may have more to play for Friday night, but United coach Dennis Sanchez and his players are not treating it like a warm-up match. Coming off back-to-back 3-3 draws, NMU is focused on setting a winning tone in front of its home fans.

"We have to come out with the right mindset," midfielder Mukwelle Akale said. "Three goals at home should be enough to win and we've had two straight draws. We need to treat this like a playoff game."

The matchup suggests a tight contest as New Mexico and Rhode Island are ranked eighth and ninth, respectively, in the latest USLC Power Rankings. Both rank among the top five in passing, and RIFC has put two more shots on target (104-102) than NMU this season.

Sanchez said he wants to see United put a full 90-minute performance together, something it failed to do in its previous two outings.

"We've been loose with the ball in certain moments and we need to tighten that up," Sanchez said. "I think there are obviously things we need to improve going into the playoffs and this is our last opportunity. We need to make it count."

WHO WILL IT BE? United is locked in as the Western Conference's No. 3 seed and will host No. 6 in round one on Nov. 1. Heading into this weekend, that opponent probably won't be determined until late Saturday night.

Phoenix (39 points), Colorado Springs (37), San Antonio (37), Orange County (36) and Lexington (36) remain in a mad scramble for the conference's final four playoff spots with one game remaining.

How close is it? Phoenix, currently in fifth place, could finish fourth and host a first-round match with a win and an El Paso loss. Rising also could miss the playoffs entirely should it lose while the other four contenders win. Stay tuned.

BRUUUUUCE! Bruce, who announced his impending retirement this week, is expected to be in uniform for Friday's finale. Coming off ACL surgery earlier this month, Bruce is unable to play but will have an opportunity to connect with fans for a final on-field appearance.

"I may cry, but I'll be alright," Bruce said.

Bruce is the last remaining member of United's original 2019 team and has made a club-record 170 appearances over all competitions. He has 17 goals, 21 assists and an estimated 90 community appearances during his tenure.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Rhode Island (10-11-8): Similar to New Mexico, RIFC has found another gear late in the season. Rhode Island was below the Eastern Conference playoff line before its current six-game unbeaten streak (4-0-2). Coach Khano Smith's club has now clinched a playoff berth and can finish seventh or eighth, depending on this weekend's results. RIFC has been one of the league's top defensive teams and ranks third with just 27 goals conceded. Primary goalkeeper Koke Vegas has 11 clean sheets and has faced relatively few shots behind a stout back line. Rhode Island's attack has been anemic at times, shut out 14 times over all competitions. Still, there's quality up front with JJ Williams, Albert Dikwa and Maxi Rodriguez sparking a recent surge of 10 goals in three games. Williams did not appear in last week's 0-0 draw with North Carolina.

New Mexico (13-10-6): United has been effective at using its bench, leaving players relatively fresh heading into postseason. On the flip side, it's sometimes hard to identify NMU's best lineup. Certainly there have been anchors. Defenders Talen Maples, Chris Gloster, Jaylin Lindsey and Will Seymore rank among the club's top five in minutes played, but even the back line has fluctuated when center backs Kalen Ryden and Kipp Keller have been healthy. Midfielder Mukwelle Akale has played by far the most minutes (2,116) for an attacking line that has been in near constant flux due to injuries and roster changes. Akale, Dayonn Harris and Greg Hurst have been finding a rhythm of late, with newcomer Luther Archiméde providing a nice counterpunch. Friday's finale could signal how NMU will approach postseason.

GOAL KICKS: It's been quite a while since United's last meeting with Rhode Island. The clubs played to a 1-1 draw in Smithfield, Rhode Island on March 16, 2024 — the same day the University of New Mexico men's basketball team defeated San Diego State in the 2023-24 Mountain West tournament final in Las Vegas. ... NMU has scored 15 more goals and conceded 13 more than RIFC has this season. Oddly, United has attempted just one more shot, 319-318.