After a dominant performance against Phoenix Rising, New Mexico United was back at home vs Orange County SC on Juneteenth. After jumping out to a quick lead, New Mexico was unable to capitalize on other scoring opportunities as they would draw even in the end. However, with the draw, Orange County still has not defeated United since 2019.
United struck first with an early goal in the 2nd minute from defender Kipp Keller, who would continue to be the motor for both the offense and the defense with 6 defensive contributions.
Orange County tied things up in the 19th minute, taking the game to 1-1 entering halftime.
The stalemate continued through the second half, where New Mexico saw a number of opportunities late but could not find their shot to capitalize and score.
“It feels like we let two points get away from us tonight,” United Head Coach Dennis Sanchez said. “We felt like there was enough there to secure all three, but in terms of the performance and the attitude, being on the front foot and being aggressive at the right moments, I liked a lot of what we saw.”
United forward Greg Hurst’s performance included a defensive contribution, a shot, and four chances created. New Mexico won the battle of possession with 63%, along with nearly 400 accurate passes.
“I think it was a solid performance, a positive performance,” Hurst said. “I think we dominated most of the game. Obviously we’d like to score a couple more goals and get the three points, but I think we’re unbeaten in four now, so we’ve got a lot of momentum.”
Looking to keep that momentum rolling, United will take their energy on the road to Heart Health Park to face Sacramento Republic FC on Saturday, June 20.
Alex Joe is a freelance videographer for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @DailyLobo
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