UNITED they stand, and win
Ryden, Sandoval score in win over Battery
Alittle home brew was just the tonic New Mexico United needed. After three straight road defeats, United picked up its second straight home victory Monday night, riding Devon Sandoval’s second-half goal to a 2-1 victory over Charleston Battery at Isotopes Park.
Kalen Ryden also scored for NMU (6-5-2), which controlled most of the action in front of an announced 7,576 fans on hand for a “Monday Night Futbol” promotion. Former Dallas Cowboys star Drew Pearson and Eldorado High School alum/ Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Zach Gentry received a loud ovation when they were introduced during pre-match activities.
All in all, the environment seemed to perfectly suit United, which effectively put a recent threematch road losing streak to bed with two strong outings at home.
“It’s great coming home after a tough trip,” Sandoval said. “We know we have the advantages here with the fans and the altitude, and we did a good job taking advantage of them.”
United had the better of things throughout the
evening, coming away with a decisive 58% possession advantage and an 8-1 lead in shots on goal. Still, it could not be described as an easy win. NMU was without three injured starters (Sam Hamilton, Harry Swartz and Brian Brown) and had to fend off some late pressure from the visiting Battery (3-4-3).
Charleston had relatively few good looks against New Mexico’s back line but did put a pair of close shots over the crossbar in the second half.
“I felt like we did a good job limiting (Charleston’s) attack for most of the night,” United coach Troy Lesesne said. “This win means a lot because I have so much history and respect for this opponent. I’ve said the best way to show respect is to give them a difficult match and I think we did that.”
United was particularly sharp early, patiently working the ball in from midfield and holding possession for long stretches. It paid off in the 15th minute when Juan Pablo Guzman took the ball off a corner kick and served it across the box from the left wing. Ryden leaped to head it back into the left-side net cords, giving the home side a 1-0 lead.
“It feels great to finally put one in the back of the net here at the Lab,” said Ryden, who is in his second season with the club. “… Hearing that roar from the crowd, it’s a special moment.”
The score stayed 1-0 until the 38th minute, when Charleston put together its only legitimate scoring chance of the first half — and made it count. Dionysius Harmon gained a step on a run down the right wing and sent a perfect cross in front to Claudio Repetto, who headed it past NMU goalkeeper Alex Tambakis.
The score remained 1-1 at halftime, but some Battery players got the fans fired up with some talk and gesturing after their equalizing goal.
“You kind of expect it,” Ryden said, “but I was thinking, ‘Don’t talk to our fans like that.’ At the end of the night, though, we got three points so it really doesn’t matter.”
United regained the lead in the 52nd minute thanks to a pair of Albuquerque natives. Sergio Rivas crossed a ball from the left corner to Sandoval just inside the goal area. Charleston goalkeeper Joseph Kuzminsky stopped an initial attempt but the ball bounded back to Sandoval, who powered in his first goal since United’s second match of the season at El Paso.
“It’s a weight off my shoulders,” Sandoval said, “and hopefully I can keep building off that. I do think we’ve been more dangerous in our last five matches or so. We scored two tonight, but we were close to scoring three or four.”
United now has a nine-day break before going back on the road to face San Antonio FC.
NOTES: Hamilton, who left Friday’s 3-1 win over Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in the back of an ambulance, suffered a fractured tibia during the match, the club announced Monday. Hamilton is expected to have surgery this week and will be out for an extended period but could return before the end of the season, Lesesne said. Swartz, who missed his second straight match, and Brown, are considered day to day with “lower body injuries.”