On the gusty evening of Wednesday, June 19, New Mexico United battled it out with FC Juarez in what became a close and physical match in front of over 10,000 fans.
United fought to keep the score close, but ultimately lost 4-2 when FC Juarez was awarded a late penalty kick from a hand-ball call – which sparked criticism of the referee by both players and fans. Midfielder #17 Manuel Castro scored the penalty kick in the 86th minute.
FC Juarez presumably sealed their victory with three first-half goals, making the score 3-0 at half time. The match grew tense when United closed the score margin to 3-2 in the second half. Multiple players from both teams received yellow cards, and one United player and a team staff member were given red cards.
FC Juarez capitalized on moments when United’s defensive line appeared to leave open gaps in the first half. FC Juarez forward #29 Ángel Zaldívar scored two of the goals in the 13th and 41st minute, and forward #33 Aitor García scored the third goal of the half in minute 45.
United struggled to maintain possession and did not pose a major threat to FC Juarez until early in the second half, when #10 midfielder substitute Marco Micaletto created danger in the box.
Micaletto scored off of a penalty kick from a hand-ball at the 54 minute mark, and five minutes later, #22 defender Kalen Ryden scored a header off of a free-kick also taken by Micaletto.
“(Micaletto) put a perfect ball in the back post that was exactly where it should’ve been, and all I had to do was make good contact on it and that’s what I did … I’m happy I was able to find the back of the net,” Ryden said.
Coach Eric Quill subbed in Micaletto for #10 midfielder Sergio Rivas at half time. Ryden credited Micaletto with getting United back in the game.
“(Micaletto) is full of energy, he’s full of quality, he’s aggressive … he’s a player that makes an instant impact,” Ryden said.
The intensity picked up when the score was 3-2. Just three minutes after Ryden’s goal, United defender #47 Jackson DuBois received his second yellow card of the game, sending him off the field with a red card.
In minute 62, during the heat of the game, United Academy graduate Jace Sais made his professional debut.
“It’s just a wonderful lifetime opportunity to get out here and play with professional people from a different country, and it was just a surreal experience to go out there and play against some of the best players in the world,” Sais said.
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The ball never remained on one side of the field as United aggressively fought for a tie and FC Juarez tried to seal their victory.
United defender #33 Harry Swartz nearly evened the scoreboard in the 77th minute when he headed a long ball that hit the crossbar.
With about 10 minutes left in the game, the intensity made its way off the field, when substitutes and coaching staff from both teams got into an altercation. It led to one of United’s assistant coaches, Nate Walzer, and an FC Juarez substitute to be sent off the pitch with red cards.
During the last few minutes of the game, FC Juarez was awarded a penalty kick resulting from an apparent hand-ball in the box. The referee who made the call was met with extreme dissatisfaction from both United players and fans.
FC Juarez scored the penalty kick, clinching their 4-2 win over United.
Quill believed the game was a good opportunity for United to compete, but said the team could have done some things differently to prevent the early conceded goals.
“We kind of stepped on our own toes and changed the game a little bit,” Quill said.
The intensity and physicality of the game was warranted despite it being considered a “friendly,” Quill said.
“It’s a second division side versus a first division side, so they want to prove themselves. When teams want to prove themselves, there’s gonna be a little bit more bite in the tackle … when that bite is there, they’re gonna bite back,” Quill said.
In their next USL Championship match on Saturday, June 22, United defeated the Colorado Springs Switchbacks 1-0 to cement their spot on top of the Western conference.
After the international friendly, Quill commented on how the stadium was packed with not only United fans, but fans in bright green FC Juarez jerseys to cheer for their team.
“The support of football is here and it’s real … I'm blessed to be a part of it,” Quill said.
Paloma Chapa is the multimedia editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at multimedia@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @paloma_chapa88
Paloma Chapa is the multimedia editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at multimedia@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @paloma_chapa88
