New Mexico United faced off against Western Conference rival El Paso Locomotive in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, April 16.
The stakes were high; the winner would advance to the Round of 16.
Early on in the match, United struggled with turnovers and sloppy passing. Just 20 minutes in, El Paso capitalized on a crucial corner, with forward Daniel Carter converting it into the game’s first goal.
Nineteen minutes later, United intercepted a poor pass from Locomotive goalkeeper Sebastian Mora-Mora, which United capitalized on as midfielder Marlon Vargas slotted in a goal.
The rivals went into halftime deadlocked at 1-1. New Mexico thrived on its speed-based counterattack, while El Paso generated consistent chances off set pieces.
Coming out of the half, El Paso dominated defensively, routinely winning possession from United players.
United goalkeeper Kris Shakes made several critical saves, none bigger than in the 67th minute, when he got a hand to a shot that deflected off the crossbar and out of play.
By the 70th minute, United had applied sustained pressure, pinning El Paso deep in its own half. That pressure paid off when a United corner found defender Jaylin Lindsey, who headed in the go-ahead goal, to make it 2-1.
United shifted into a more defensive posture to protect the lead, but five minutes of stoppage time was added after the 90-minute mark.
In the final seconds, a foul led to an El Paso free kick, which looked like the final play of the game. The ball was swung in and found the feet of forward Wilmer Cabrera, who buried it and forced extra time.
El Paso appeared content to play for penalties, holding most of their players back while United continued pressing, creating several quality chances they failed to finish.
The penalty shootout began with El Paso midfielder Robert Coronado scoring down the middle, just out of Shakes’ reach.
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United midfielder Gedion Zelalem was next, but his shot to the right was saved by Mora-Mora.
Next up was El Paso defender Ricky Ruiz, who converted to the right, making it 2-0.
United defender Talen Maples kept New Mexico alive by sending Mora-Mora the wrong way, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
Midfielder Gabriel Torres extended El Paso’s lead, finding the top left corner well beyond Shakes’ reach.
Next up was United defender Kalen Ryden, who struck the crossbar, leaving El Paso one kick away from advancing.
Fittingly, Cabrera ended it, slipping his shot just past Shakes to seal a 4-1 shootout victory.
El Paso advances to face MLS side Austin FC in the Round of 16 on May 7. United now shifts focus to two upcoming home matches — against Monterey Bay FC on Wednesday, April 23 and against Union Omaha on Saturday, April 26.
Simon Reseigh is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @simon_reseigh
