New Mexico United will play Hartford Athletic in a cross-conference match on Wednesday. The game comes after United's penalty shootout win over San Antonio FC in the final round of the USL Jägermeister Cup group stage.
United is currently third in the USL Championship Western Conference and is seeking its first league victory since June 21. The last meeting between New Mexico and Hartford took place in 2024, ending with a 1-0 win for United before nearly 11,000 spectators. United is aiming to regain first place in the West, while Hartford is working to stay in playoff contention.
Valentin Noël, who scored as a substitute during his debut against San Antonio FC, is highlighted as a key player for this match. Winger Dayonn Harris also returned from an ACL injury with a goal that helped take the team to penalties, leading to United's eventual win.
"Dayonn returns from the sidelines with a BANG He takes us to penalties!#SomosUnidos | @DayonnHarris_5pic.twitter.com/7tVLRGEGxz" — New Mexico United (@NewMexicoUTD) July 27, 2025
Goalkeeper Alex Tambakis is close to reaching two significant milestones: he needs one more save to become the first goalkeeper with 650 saves in USL Championship history and two more clean sheets to set the record for most shutouts in regular season play. If he achieves a clean sheet on Wednesday, he will tie current leader Evan Newton.
Hartford Athletic has struggled recently but has shown some strength in attack through strikers Kyle Edwards and Mamadou Dieng, who have combined for nine goals this season. The team’s defense leads the league with an average of 9.1 interceptions per match.
Following Wednesday’s game, New Mexico United will travel to Oklahoma to face FC Tulsa. The next home game will be on Saturday, August 16 against Las Vegas Lights FC and will mark New Mexico United’s 100th match at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park.
