Who are the top 5 players in New Mexico United's brief history?

Ken Sickenger
Ken Sickenger Journal Staff Writer
Published Modified

In five short seasons New Mexico United fans have made a reputation for themselves.

Regularly stuffing Isotopes Park to cheer on their black-and-gold clad favorites, United’s faithful fan base never runs short on chants, cheers, colorful attire or opinions. Time to test those opinions with a question:

(Nearly) five seasons in to the club’s existence, who are the five top players to suit up for New Mexico United?

A few names probably come to mind in about the time it takes for a Justin Portillo penalty kick to find the back of the net. But numerous players have played major roles in building United’s devoted following — certainly a lot more than five.

That makes choosing a top five all the more challenging and requires a few parameters. The esteemed informal (and necessarily anonymous) panel of longtime NMU observers contributing to this list considered:

1. On-the-pitch contributions (goals, tackles, irritating opponents, etc.)

2. Longevity with the club

3. Fan appeal

Is the resulting list backed by painstaking statistical analysis? Not even remotely.

Is it 100% subjective? No question about it.

Still, it’s fair to say those of us who shared opinions have watched a lot of United matches over the past five years and could easily pick Sergio Rivas, Austin Yearwood or Alex Tambakis out of a lineup.

As one might expect, there were a lot of different responses and and a list of honorable mentions will follow the top five.

Have a different take? By all means, fire away! But remember we’re limited to five (5) players for this admittedly unscientific exercise. Full listings of New Mexico United’s all-time roster will not be taken seriously.

With all of that said, on with the top five (listed in alphabetical order).

Top 5 players in New Mexico United history

DANIEL BRUCE

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DANIEL BRUCE
Stats were not a voting priority for the versatile, energetic Bruce, who has lined up at various positions during his five-season United tenure. He nets occasional goals and assists but fans have come to appreciate Bruce’s non-stop hustle and willingness to sacrifice his body against bigger players. Home fans invariably yell “Bruuuuuuce” whenever the affable Englishman possesses the ball.

AMANDO MORENO

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AMANDO MORENO
When healthy, the lightning-quick Moreno has been a consistent scoring threat since joining United in 2020. He leads the club with six goals scored this season and has 20 overall despite missing most of 2022 while recovering from ACL surgery. Moreno’s distinctive hairstyle makes him stand out. He has dual citizenship and has played for the United States and El Salvador national programs.

KALEN RYDEN

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KALEN RYDEN
Ryden’s selection proves many United watchers value defense as much as goal scoring. The 6-foot-2 Oklahoma native is a threat to score on set pieces but the majority of his work is done on the back line, where Ryden excels at anticipating and breaking up opposing attacks. He has been one of United’s most consistent performers since 2020 and ranks fourth in the USL Championship this season with 99 clearances.

DEVON SANDOVAL

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DEVON SANDOVAL
The first player signed by New Mexico United played a leading role in putting his hometown club on the map. The Eldorado High School and UNM alumnus was a force for NMU, scoring 22 goals before being slowed by heart issues and ultimately retiring prior to this season after a 10-year professional career. “Big Dev,” as he is known, netted United’s first-ever goal, its first playoff goal and its first U.S. Open Cup goal.

CHRIS WEHAN

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CHRIS WEHAN
Another former UNM Lobo, Wehan was a near-unanimous pick as a top-five player for New Mexico United. “Beez,” as he’s known, leads the club with 34 career goals and has 50 overall in his USLC career. He is particularly dangerous on free kicks and has a knack for breaking down opposing defenses. Wehan has 171 chances created in his NMU career. He has missed time due to injury this season but is expected to return soon.

Note: The absence of a goalkeeper on this list was no oversight as former NMU net-minder Cody Mizell and current stopper Alex Tambakis effectively split the vote. Other players receiving honorable mention are as follows: David Estrada, Cristian Nava, Justin Portillo, Sergio Rivas, Will Seymore, Justin Schmidt, Josh Suggs, Andrew Tinari, Austin Yearwood.

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