Playoff opportunity: United aims to extend hot streak versus Orange County

Saturday, 7 p.m., Radio: 101.7 FM; TV: KASY (English), Estrella (Spanish); Streaming: KRQE.com, ESPN+

Week one of the USL Championship playoffs couldn't have gone much better for New Mexico United.

Will week two be a different story?

United controlled what it could last week, playing well on both ends of the field in a relatively comfortable 2-0 win over San Antonio at Isotopes Park. NMU was the only team to score more than one goal in any of the league's eight first-round matches.

But thanks to a slew of upsets in the Eastern and Western Conference quarterfinals, United's path to the USLC championship match now appears considerably more friendly. Three of the four teams seeded higher than NMU were knocked out last week, including Western No. 2 seed Sacramento, which leaves No. 3 New Mexico playing at home Saturday against No. 7 Orange County SC.

United's players and coaches were tuned in late Sunday night when OCSC edged Sacramento in a penalty shootout. It's fair to say they liked the result.

"I almost woke up my kid," defender Talen Maples said. "Now we get the chance to play at home again in front of our fans. Hopefully we'll play our game and be able to celebrate with them."

Not only did New Mexico avoid a trip to Sacramento, coach Dennis Sanchez's club moved up the league's overall playoff pecking order in terms of hosting potential upcoming matches. Western Conference No. 1 seed Tulsa will play at home for as long as it lasts, including for a potential conference final against United next week should both teams advance.

But if Tulsa falls to Phoenix, New Mexico could host a conference final next week. Better still, NMU is in position to host the league championship if it picks up two more wins, something retiring co-captain Kalen Ryden said the players know all too well.

"It's exciting to have that path," Ryden said, "to be able to host future games if we keep winning. It's pressure in a way, but it's also extra motivation to have an opportunity like this."

Continuing to win, of course, is the big "if" in the equation. Sanchez did not try to downplay his team's good fortune in round one, but he knows how quickly a run of postseason luck can end.

"With teams like Louisville and Charleston out, now we're one of the favorites," Sanchez said. "But whether you're an underdog or a favorite, you still have to perform and be the dominant team on the field. How we want to play is to be the protagonist, stay on our front foot and dictate how the match is played. We did that last week. I told the guys I felt we won that game in the first 25 minutes."

The numbers seem to favor NMU against an upstart Orange County side that won just two road matches in the regular season. United scored six goals in its two meetings with OCSC — a 3-0 win and a 3-3 draw — and comes into Saturday riding a franchise-record eight-game undefeated streak.

What's more, Orange County will be without top playmaker Chris Hegardt on Saturday as he serves a one-game suspension for drawing a red card against Sacramento.

Too much positive news? Perhaps.

United's returning players remember last season's playoffs, when they controlled most of a Western Conference semifinal at home against Las Vegas, only to concede a late goal and get knocked out as a No. 1 seed.

"Last year's loss was tough to swallow," Ryden said. "I think we all remember that and we're focused on not making the same mistake again."

Maples agreed and said United is not about to overlook Orange County, especially after its upset of Sacramento.

"Records and seeds don't matter now," Maples said. "Everyone who's playing this week is 1-0, Orange County, us, we're all 1-0. When you get to this point, any team can win on any given day. That's our mindset for Saturday, just win that game that day."

SHOOTOUT SPECIALIST: United would likely prefer to avoid going to a penalty shootout with OCSC, which improved to 4-0 in playoff shootouts with last week's 5-4 PK win in Sacramento. NMU lost its only previous playoff shootout in a 2020 conference semifinal at El Paso.

Orange County made the unusual move of subbing in backup goalkeeper Tetsuya Kadono for primary goalie Colin Shutler in the final minute of overtime at Sacramento, just the fifth appearance by Kadono in a match this season. The gamble paid off as Kadono tied a league record with three saves in the shootout, including a match-winner on Sacramento's Jack Gurr.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

No. 7 Orange County (10-11-10): Much like New Mexico, OCSC has saved its best soccer for last. Upstart Orange County is riding a six-game unbeaten streak (2-0-4) that lifted it over the playoff line and set up last week's shocking draw/victory over Western Conference No. 2 seed Sacramento. The hot streak includes a 3-3 draw with United at Isotopes Park on Oct. 11 in which forward Tristan Trager scored twice. OCSC will be without top playmaker Chris Hegardt on Saturday after Hegardt drew a red card for brawling in Sunday's playoff match. Hegardt is Orange County's top playmaker, ranking among the league's top five with 8 assists and 58 chances created. Top scorer Ethan Zubak (11 goals) and talented finishers Ryan Doghman (3 goals, 28 chances created) and Nico Benalcazar (4 goals, 3 assists) remain dangerous, but midfielder Ousmane Sylla may be key to picking up the slack for Hegardt.

No. 3 New Mexico (15-10-6): United's share-the-ball, share-the-wealth approach continues to be successful — though it doesn't leave many NMU players ranked among the USLC's statistical leaders. Forward Greg Hurst and defender Talen Maples (7 goals apiece) are tied for 24th in scoring, while forward Mukwelle Akale (5 goals) is tied for 43rd. Still, United comes into Saturday's match riding a franchise-record eight-game unbeaten streak, and a few other individual numbers help explain why. Akale ranks among the top 10 in assists (6) and chances created (46) and has begun to look for his own shots more frequently of late. Akale has scored in three straight matches and draws defensive attention at every touch. Midseason addition Valentin Noel and Dayonn Harris, who returned from injury at midseason, also have settled in alongside Hurst, combining for 5 goals, 6 assists and 47 chances created.

GOAL KICKS: Two New Mexico players do rank among the individual league leaders in less-than-glamorous statistical categories. Maples ranks second in overall passes and needs 20 to reach 2,000 for the season. Defender Gedion Zelalem ranks second with 11 yellow cards, trailing only former United and current Charleston midfielder Houssou Landry who has 12. ... Orange County is one of just two former USLC league champions still afloat in this season's playoffs along with Phoenix. OCSC won the title in 2021, Phoenix in 2023.