Valentin Noel and Dayonn Harris each scored in their season debuts, helping New Mexico United secure a shootout win over San Antonio FC in the Jägermeister Cup.
According to ESPN 101.7 "THE TEAM," New Mexico United faced a critical situation in their final Jägermeister Cup group stage match against San Antonio FC, knowing only a win would keep them in contention for the knockout rounds. After conceding two goals and falling into a significant second-half deficit, they staged a late comeback by scoring twice in stoppage time to level the match at 2-2. Despite winning the penalty shootout, other group results meant that their effort wasn’t enough to secure a spot in the next round of the tournament.
Noel and Harris both made their highly anticipated season debuts for New Mexico United and helped change the momentum of the match. Noel, who joined the club from Las Vegas Lights just the day before, scored in the 92nd minute with a clinical finish from the top of the area to ignite hopes of a comeback. Harris, returning from a long ACL recovery since mid-2024, completed the comeback in the 99th minute by volleying home a deflected set piece, marking his return to competitive action.
San Antonio FC capitalized on early defensive lapses from United, especially when Ousman Jabang misread a pass on the wing that led to Juan Agudelo’s opening goal in the 8th minute. Despite San Antonio’s early dominance, United had two golden opportunities just before halftime—first with a shot from Zico Bailey and then a rebound strike by Thomas Amang—both denied by last-ditch defending and a sharp save from Joseph Batrouni. The inability to capitalize on those chances left United trailing 1-0 at halftime.
Although United’s comeback set up an exciting penalty shootout, it had already been confirmed that anything short of a regulation win would eliminate them from the Jägermeister Cup. In the shootout, United displayed composure as Greg Hurst, Muwkelle Akale, and Talen Maples all successfully converted their spot kicks. Meanwhile, San Antonio FC faltered completely from the spot, either missing or having all three attempts saved, allowing United to secure a 3-0 shootout win and finish second in their group.
Editor's note: The original article appears on https://www.1017theteam.com/, written by Seth Biddulph.
