New Mexico United to kick off in Rio Rancho Tuesday

New Mexico United will once again come running up that hill to play a U.S. Open Cup match in the City of Vision.

United will open its 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup campaign Tuesday at Rio Rancho High School against National Premier Soccer League club Lubbock Matadors. The NPSL is a semi-professional league, comprising some teams that have paid players and some that are entirely amateur.

United will take the pitch at Rio Rancho Stadium at 7 p.m. instead of Isotopes Park, where the team usually plays its home matches.

NMU also played a U.S. Open Cup match at Rio Rancho Stadium last April, toppling New Mexico State University — University Degrees Abroad, a combination club/academy team, 6-0 in front of 1,680 fans who braved miserable, frigid and windy weather.

“Hosting the United in Rio Rancho is always an honor, and special thanks to RRPS for providing the venue,” Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull said. “I look forward to having them here in Rio Rancho. Let’s pack the house.”

Rio Rancho Stadium seats roughly 4,200 people, which is about 5,400 fewer than the 2023 average attendance at United home matches. NMU is expecting a large turnout from its rabid fan base.

“Any fans that are New Mexicans and support our club is huge. We want fans everywhere we go,” United goalkeeper Alex Tambakis said. “Wherever we go, the fans are always there for us, and that’s so exciting and amazing. It gives us a boost, and we want to win for them.”

The U.S. Open Cup is the oldest ongoing knockout cup competition in American soccer. The competition this year features 100 teams from professional leagues sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, Major League Soccer (MLS), the United Soccer League’s Championship and League One divisions, the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), and MLS Next Pro, as well as amateur clubs in the earlier rounds of the tournament that qualify through their respective leagues.

“This is a great opportunity to get into a ‘win-or-go-home’ mindset,” United Head Coach Eric Quill said. “Cup play is fun. But, you see it all the time: there’s upsets all over the place in this tournament. So, we need to make sure that our mentality is right, and our goal is to win this tournament.”

New Mexico United made a run in the U.S. Open Cup in 2019, beating two MLS teams en route to the quarterfinals of the tournament. That year, United became the first team from New Mexico to win a match in the U.S. Open Cup since the New Mexico Chiles in 1992.

“We're thrilled to be bringing the oldest and most prestigious soccer tournament back to Rio Rancho,” David Wiese-Carl, United’s vice president of media and impact, said. “The Rio Rancho community has been incredibly supportive of United soccer, and we're excited to kick off at Rio Rancho on Tuesday.”

Adding another level of excitement for the match is the news that United Phenom Cristian Nava is available for selection ahead of Tuesday’s match.

Nava, a 20-year-old Albuquerque High School graduate, tore his ACL during the 2023 preseason and has not played since. It’s not certain Nava will play Tuesday, but he is available for the first time in over a year.

“Coming back from a long-term injury takes incredible grit and determination,” said United Sporting Director Itamar Keinan. “While making sure the body recovers well is crucial, equally as important is the mental toll it can take on an athlete to not be on the field every day. Cristian has shown determination, diligence and tenacity, and we can’t wait for him to be on the field again.”

Nava never played at Rio Rancho High School while he was at Albuquerque High, but he was there last year watching United’s match.

“It looks like it’s a good field; I mean, it’s obviously not Isotopes Park, but we’re not going to take it for granted,” Nava said. “We want to go out there and win.”

Tickets for the match start at $15 and can be purchased here.