After a nail-biting night at New Mexico United’s home turf, fans were left disappointed as the team fell short, losing to FC Tulsa on Saturday, Sept. 13. United is currently at 10 wins, three draws and 10 losses.
The game began when University of New Mexico Lobos Football Head Coach Jason Eck helped United get first possession of the ball after winning a coin toss. The energy was high from the start, as both players and fans carried passion and hope that another victory would be added to their record. The first half played out much as United had envisioned, with sharp distribution and precise timing with smooth momentum.
United dominated possession, holding on to the ball 69% of the time, and consistently applying pressure on the opposing goal. Crosses and assists were plentiful, but despite their persistence, execution in the final third was lacking, leading to missed opportunities that could have changed the game’s outcome.
Towards the middle of the game, United midfielder Sergio Rivas hit an impressively rare milestone in his career, completing a total of 10,000 regular season minutes in the USL championship regular season.
Rivas played a key role in creating chances, contributing multiple assists including one to leading scorer Greg Hurst, but fell just short of capitalizing on a jaw-dropping opportunity of his own. The first half closed in a 0-0 stalemate, yet United remained dominant in distribution and control of play.
In the second half, United struggled to maintain their distribution consistency and were pushed back toward their own goal, putting heavy pressure on the defense. Tulsa’s constant pressure eventually paid off, as they capitalized late in the match, running down the clock and breaking through for the game’s only goal. With just seconds remaining, United pushed desperately for an equalizer, but Tulsa’s defense shut down every opportunity, sealing a 1-0 victory.
Esmeralda Lozano is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
