Playoff bound: Stoppage-time goal lifts United over Phoenix Rising

Better extremely late than never.

Talen Maples slammed home a penalty kick in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time late Saturday night, and New Mexico United punched its playoff ticket with a 1-0 road win over Phoenix Rising FC.

The win — New Mexico’s third straight — pulled it to within one point of second-place Sacramento and six points clear of San Antonio and El Paso (tied for fourth) in the USL Championship Western Conference standings. United (13-10-4) has three games remaining, all at home.

Saturday’s match seemed set to end in a draw, which would have been a sixth straight tie for Phoenix, when a late substitution changed everything. Thomas Amang came off the bench in the third minute of stoppage time and managed to get behind the Rising defense less than a minute later. Amang was taken down in the penalty box by Phoenix’s Pape Mar Boye, earning the visitors a penalty.

Maples, who has been close to automatic from the penalty spot this season, drilled the shot into the right corner of the goal, just out of the reach of diving Phoenix goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky, to give New Mexico its winning goal. Maples is tied for the team lead with five goals in USLC play this season, all scored on penalties.

“Really good night,” United coach Dennis Sanchez said after emerging from his team’s triumphant locker room. “Not perfect, but I thought the guys managed the game well and we came up with the biggest moment when we had to. Really, really happy for our guys.”

While Maples provided just enough offense, New Mexico put together a solid defensive effort against Rising, which came into the match ranked third in the USLC with 45 goals scored. NMU goalkeeper Kris Shakes came up with four saves —including a dazzling left-hand stop on Ihsan Sacko in transition — to earn his fourth clean sheet and United’s 10th of the season.

“We started with kind of a defensive-minded group,” Sanchez said, “and we gave up very few big chances. Once we made a few substitutions, we started handling the second balls better and those guys gave us a lift. Amang came in and changed the game in less than three minutes. Pretty amazing.”

Until stoppage time, both teams had missed opportunities to regret. United’s Zico Bailey blasted a shot off the crossbar in the 21st minute, and Phoenix’s Sacko and Carl Sainte (a former United player) were unable to get golden scoring chances past Shakes.

“Another collective shutout,” Sanchez said, “and they always feel good. I thought Will (Seymore) and Talen were really good in front of Shakes and kept us in a good spot defensively.”

New Mexico did an effective job controlling Phoenix’s dangerous front line and giving up few transition opportunities. United ended up with a 10-9 shot advantage (3-3 in shots on target) and held 54% of the possession. United avenged a 2-1 home loss to rival Rising FC earlier this season.

“Yeah, I’d say Phoenix is a really good place for us to clinch a playoff berth,” Sanchez said.

United returns home next Saturday to begin its final regular-season homestand against Orange County SC at 7 p.m.