May 11, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL)
New Mexico United News Release
Albuquerque, NM – New Mexico United were victorious again on Saturday night, moving to within a point of first place – with a match in-hand – in the USL Championship Western Conference, with a 2-1 win over Oakland Roots SC in front of a season-high 11,568 fans on Meow Wolf Night.
United got the scoring started almost immediately on Saturday night. Greg Hurst was the recipient of a gift from Roots SC goalkeeper Paul Blanchette. Blanchette looked to clear a ball, but misplaced it, firing directly at Hurst. The Scotsman took a touch and chipped over Blanchette into an open net for a 1-0 lead in just the second minute.
They would hold onto that lead through the first half, creating several chances, but not quite finishing their chances. An unlucky deflection after a shot from Neveal Hackshaw evened the score in the 48th minute, and Oakland nearly scored a second just two minutes later as a free kick skipped just around the post. Roots would control much of the pace, tempo, and chances in the intervening 25 minutes, but it would be United who would ultimately find a winner.
In the 74th minute, Mukwelle Akale lined up a free kick from about 25 yards out, just to the left of the Oakland box. Everyone in the stadium – including Blanchette assumed that Akale would whip a ball across the face of goal. Instead Akale surprised everyone and went around the wall, toward the near post and under Blanchette for the winner.
• Discuss this story on the United Soccer League Championship message board…
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.