Evaluation to continue as United hosts exhibition
Next match here will be home opener
Saturday will be something of a last hurrah for New Mexico United along with a curtain-raiser for the club’s academy team.
United will host FC Tucson for an 11 a.m. preseason match at its Mesa del Sol training facility. It will be NMU’s last home appearance until its May 15 regular-season home opener at Isotopes Park. New Mexico visits Phoenix Rising for next week’s preseason finale, then opens the USL Championship season with road matches at Rio Grande Valley and El Paso.
Coach Troy Lesesne has used the preseason to experiment with various lineup combinations in advance of the 2021 campaign. United’s roster changed significantly during the offseason after last season’s run to the Western Conference semifinals.
The most visible change is at goalkeeper, where returnee Philipp Beigl and newcomer Alex Tambakis have been battling to replace departed Cody Mizell as the starter. Beigl and Tambakis have played effectively in each of the team’s four preseason matches.
United’s revamped offense also has started to come together. First-year midfielders Isidro Martinez and Harry Swartz combined for three goals in last week’s 4-2 preseason win over Colorado Springs, with returning forward Amando Moreno also getting on the board.
NMU played all of last season’s
matches on the road because of New Mexico’s coronavirus restrictions, and fans have wasted little time snapping up a limited number of available tickets for home contests this spring.
Under Bernalillo County’s current public health order status, 25% fan capacity (roughly 3,500 fans) will be allowed at Isotopes Park. NMU’s home opener against Austin Bold FC is sold out, and fewer than 200 tickets remained as of Thursday for the team’s May 29 home match versus Loudoun United FC, a United spokesperson said.
Tickets for future home matches are not yet available as potential changes to the county’s public health status could impact capacity restrictions.
Roughly 300 fans are allowed at United’s preseason matches at Mesa del Sol and all three have sold out. However, fans can get a look at NMU’s academy team Saturday as it faces FC Tucson’s academy team at the conclusion of the first-team match.
New Mexico’s first competitive academy match will be 45 minutes long, followed by an intrasquad contest. Admittance is free until the facility’s attendance limit is reached.
SHOT PERKS: To encourage COVID-19 vaccinations, the Somos Unidos Foundation is partnering with a sponsor to offer a “Get a Shot, Get a Ticket” promotion for NMU’s first two regularseason home matches. Fans who receive their first vaccination shot after April 13 (the initiative’s start date) can present their vaccination cards to receive two tickets even if the matches are sold out. The seats are located in the Western Sky Community Corner at Isotopes Park. Roughly 50 are available for each of United’s first two matches. More information is available on the team’s website, nmunited.com.
UNVEILING: United will hold a daylong unveiling Sunday of a new, third jersey style for the upcoming season at Electric Playhouse. Tickets and more information are available at nmunited. com.