United goes all-in with key midseason roster moves

Jägermeister Cup

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

New Mexico United is not about to stand pat in 2025.

That much became crystal clear Friday when the club made three significant roster moves in hopes of bolstering its chances in the second half of the USL Championship season.

United, which visits San Antonio FC for a key Jägermeister Cup group match on Saturday, added attacking punch by acquiring midfielder Valentin Noel from Las Vegas Lights FC for an undisclosed roster fee.

Noel had a dominant 2024 season for the Lights (11 goals, 7 assists) and will be reunited with coach Dennis Sanchez, who moved from Las Vegas to New Mexico during the offseason.

Noel's arrival coincided with two departures as United shipped forward McKinze Gaines and defender Anthony Herbert to Las Vegas in a pair of separate transactions. Gaines was traded for a 2025 international spot, while NMU received an undisclosed fee for Herbert.

The moves come with United having slipped to third place in the tight USLC Western Conference standings at the season's midway point. New Mexico (8-6-1) is two points behind FC Tulsa and trails San Antonio by one point but has played one fewer league game than either of those foes.

Still, NMU spent most of the season's first half atop the standings before hitting a recent slump. Forward Greg Hurst said getting back on top is a priority.

"We want to be in first place," Hurst said, "but there's also a benefit to having something to chase. We haven't experienced that in a while. We need to use it as motivation."

Saturday's match provides its own motivation as both teams look to advance in Jägermeister Cup play. San Antonio leads Group 2 with a 3-0-0 record and 9 points in group play and can lock up first place and a quarterfinal berth with a win or a draw. New Mexico (1-0-2, 6 points) needs a regulation win to secure first place and could advance as one of two tournament wild cards with a draw and a shootout win.

the latter result would depend on other results, and United coach Dennis Sanchez prefers to focus on what his team can control.

"We're approaching Saturday like a playoff game," Sanchez said. "We need to go in and win against a tough San Antonio team. We've put ourselves in a position to move on and we've beaten San Antonio this year, so we're going in confident and ready to battle."

New Mexico scored its season-high in goals in a 4-2 win over San Antonio on June 21 at Isotopes Park, but that match was square at 2-2 until SAFC's Andres Paredes earned a late red card. United responded with two late goals to secure three points.

United is coming off a two-week break since suffering a deflating 2-1 home loss to Charleston. Midfielder Zico Bailey said the club is looking forward to playing a high-stakes match after its extended rest.

"You always want to play meaningful games," he said, "and this one is win and you're in. We basically need to win four games for a trophy and it starts Saturday."

A BREAK TO REMEMBER: Bailey made the most of United's recent break, getting married on July 13th. Zico and his wife, Karli, spent their honeymoon in Taos.

"It was perfect timing," he said. "You take a mental-health break from soccer, get married and go on your honeymoon. We loved Taos. New Mexico is really a beautiful state."

COMING AND GOING: Noel joins NMU after serving as a key cog for Las Vegas this season. He scored just one goal but served as team captain and started all 17 matches. He also ranked second on the team with 17 chances created.

"He’s a creative midfielder that has proven he is one of the best in the league," United sporting director Itamar Keinan said of Noel.

The Lights will pick up a pair of proven contributors in Gaines and Herbert. Gaines departs NMU with 3 goals and 4 assists over 18 games this season, while Herbert logged 95 clearances in 35 games over the past two seasons on United's back line.

UP AND RUNNING: Defender and co-captain Kalen Ryden was back in a practice kit this week and running through drills at training. Ryden is recovering from a broken clavicle he suffered during United's 2-1 loss at Lexington SC on June 14 and said his recovery has gone well. He is able to run and participate in non-contact drills and hopes to be cleared for contact in early August.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New Mexico (1-0-2 Jagermeister Cup, 6 points): Injuries, recoveries and roster moves have put United's roster into a state of flux in recent weeks. Forward Daniel Bruce's season-ending knee injury may not have come at the worst possible time as Greg Hurst returned from a three-month absence on July 12. Forward Dayonn Harris, who has been out since undergoing ACL surgery last season, is expected to return soon, as well. Still, changes are in store and Friday's signing of playmaking midfielder Valentin Noel adds another ingredient to the mix. United's attack has been in need of a spark recently, limited to one goal or none in four of its last five USL Championship matches. The exception was a 4-2 win over San Antonio on June 21. Luiz Fernando (4 goals, 19 shots) and Mukwelle Akale (5 assists, 25 chances created) continue to lead the way.

San Antonio (3-0-0 Jägermeister Cup, 9 points): SAFC's overall defensive numbers are not eye-grabbing, but defense has helped the club surge in both Jägermeister Cup play. San Antonio is the only team with a 3-0-0 mark in group action and its three wins have all come in shutouts. Primary goalkeeper Richard Sanchez did not play in SAFC's first three group matches, but backups Daniel Namani and Joseph Batrouni combined to post three clean sheets. Sanchez could be back in net Saturday as San Antonio needs a win or a draw to advance to the tournament knockout round. Jorge Hernandez (7 goals, 30 chances created) is SAFC's top scoring threat. Former United players Nicky Hernandez and Alexis Souahy have played key roles for San Antonio.

GOAL KICKS: New Mexico can advance to the Jägermeister Cup quarterfinals with a win Saturday. United and SAFC would finish with 9 points apiece atop the Group 2 standings, but NMU would advance because of a head-to-head tiebreaker. NMU could also advance as one of two wild card teams with a draw and a penalty shootout win Saturday. That scenario would give NMU 8 points but its fate would depend on other outcomes. The Jägermeister Cup uses goals scored as a tiebreaker, which puts NMU in a relatively strong position. New Mexico scored 7 goals over its first three group matches.