Vargish’s View: Switchbacks Aim To Sweep New Mexico United in 2nd Match of Season
The Four Corners Rivalry is renewed this Saturday evening as the Switchbacks square off against New Mexico United at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque. Saturday’s match in the Land of Enchantment will kick off at 7pm, with live coverage by the voice of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman, beginning at 6:30pm on XTRA Sports1300AM.
On Wednesday evening the Switchbacks fell 1-0 to the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros at H-E-B Park in triple-digit temperatures in Edinburg, Texas. The Switchbacks stand at 7-8-1 in 2023 USL Championship play and will head into Saturday’s match in Albuquerque seven points ahead of New Mexico United.
What Coach Hogan Says:
“The guys even said it after the game – if we take our chances [against RGV] the game is over at halftime. It’s ideas that are not getting executed. It’s prep not getting executed. On the road it’s always hard to get a win: it is and it doesn’t matter where you’re going. It’s [about] executing it as well as you can, as quick as you can, and as composed as you can. And we’ve been using that word now a lot all season. The composure inside the 18 is missing from some of these players in this group and if they get it, the games are over, and [the players] understand that. We shouldn’t have left [Edinburg] with a loss. We should have [taken] at least a point, but we didn’t, so we have to go to New Mexico who are struggling as well to get any sort of run going, so we have to capitalize on that too.
“The heat really took its toll on us [in Edinburg]. With that and some of the niggling injuries [that] we had going in, we decided to make some changes. Maalique’s hamstring was a little bit fatigued so that’s why he didn’t start but we think that might be better now. [There will be] rotation for sure in certain positions – I won’t name any names yet, but there will be changes [on Saturday]. And hopefully everyone comes back [to Colorado] unscathed so we can do a real assessment on them when we get home. At this point it’s who wants it more in these two teams for Saturday night. And if we get it right and we want it more and we win our duels, I think we’ll come out with something.”
Look at New Mexico:
New Mexico United enter this weekend 4-6-3 after falling 3-1 at home to Phoenix Rising on Wednesday evening at Isotopes Park. Zach Prince stood down as United’s Head Coach on June 4th following a 1-0 home loss to El Paso Locomotive, with Eric Quill taking charge. Quill is still looking for his first victory at the helm of New Mexico, having presided over United’s 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rowdies, followed by a 2-2 draw against the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros and lastly the aforementioned loss to Phoenix Rising on Wednesday.
“The intensity from being at home is always there from New Mexico,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Hogan. “They’ll have 10,000 people [at Isotopes Park] so that’s a big one, and the understanding that we have to match their fight. With Eric [Quill] coming in and looking at their press, it’s a little bit different – they’re a little more structured. They’re in the same system that they’ve played this season, but it’s a little bit different with one or two bodies being a little bit higher and a little bit more aggressive. They’re similar to us in certain moments – especially when they’re trying to build. And then you have got to take care of [Amando] Moreno, you’ve got to take care of [Sergio] Rivas, and you’ve got to take care of Santi [Moar]. Those three are big players that can unlock a team in a second.”
Vargish’s View:
It’s always an intense match against New Mexico United, and Saturday will be no different. Both teams are desperate for three points – the hosts haven’t been victorious following their May 17th win against Loudoun United, while the Switchbacks have not won away from Weidner Field since May 13th. New Mexico United will undoubtedly be buoyed by Saturday’s crowd, and the Switchbacks must manage their emotions in what is always a feisty and full-blooded rivalry.
In the opening 45 minutes against Rio Grande Valley, the Switchbacks played by far the better soccer and were unlucky to not enter halftime up at least a couple goals. The same crispness of passing and decisive movement that was shown on Wednesday is going to be required against a New Mexico team that can be defensively vulnerable – United have given up 11 goals in their last five matches. New Mexico have a strong, veteran core that’s desperate to get a win. The Switchbacks will have to absorb waves of pressure, win individual physical battles, and maintain their discipline if they are to leave the 505 with all three points.
