ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico United (10-10-4, 34 pts) secured a critical road point on Saturday night with a 1–1 draw against Monterey Bay FC, maintaining their grip on fifth place in the USL Championship’s tightly packed Western Conference.
The result follows a narrow 1–0 home loss to FC Tulsa the week prior, snapping United’s twomatch win streak. Still, the club’s strong defensive form and timely contributions from key players have kept them in the thick of the playoff race with just four matches remaining.
Saturday’s equalizer came in the 87th minute from forward Luther Archimède—his second goal in as many weeks— after Monterey Bay took the lead midway through the second half. United had controlled much of the possession and tempo leading up to that point, with goalkeeper Kris Shakes again making timely stops to keep the match within reach.
Since the start of September, United has shown flashes of cohesion across all lines, earning hardfought results on the road and continuing to integrate new contributors like Archimède and Kipp Keller into the rotation. Albuquerque native Sergio Rivas also reached a career milestone earlier this month, surpassing 10,000 minutes played in the USL Championship.
With four games remaining— two away, two at home—United will need to maximize every opportunity to secure their postseason spot. The club travels next to face Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Wednesday, September 24, followed by a return home for key matchups against Lexington SC and Orange County SC in October.
Kickoff in Colorado Springs is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. MT at Weidner Field.