ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Four players made their first-ever starts for the New Mexico United in the club’s 5-0 romp over NPSL opponent Las Vegas Legends on Wednesday night. Those four newcomers accounted for four goals and a clean sheet on the evening, as United won comfortably – turning the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup into a rout, and punching their ticket to the third round. Goals from newcomers Raddy Ovouka, Carl Sainte, and Jerome Kiesewetter, and another from familiar goal-scorer Chris Wehan paced the Black & Yellow, who were playing host in the tournament for the first time in their history. Goalkeeper Ford Parker – also making his first start for the club – earned a clean sheet on the field where he played his college soccer for the University of New Mexico.
United got the action going early in this one. In the seventh minute, Will Seymore played a long ball over the top to a streaking Rivas. Rivas drove toward goal alone, forcing Las Vegas goalkeeper Hector Castillas off of his line. Castillas tripped up Rivas, drawing a penalty, which Chris Wehan calmly slotted home for the game’s first tally. Ten minutes later,
Ten minutes later, Raddy Ovouka chipped a ball across the box, finding Rivas near the back post. The Albuquerque native climbed the ladder to head the ball onto the crossbar, where Kiesewetter opened his New Mexico United account on the rebound for a 2-nil lead. In the 40th minute, the lead grew to three as Daniel Bruce placed a flat pass into the feet of Sainte near the penalty spot. Sainte moved the ball along to Wehan, who did the same to Ovouka, who passed the ball into the net for the third score.
As the second half got underway, Rivas sent in a cross that was headed away by Jameel Neptune, but right to the feet of a cruising Sainte, who blasted his first goal for United into the top left corner from about 20 yards out, for a 4-0 lead.
In the 82nd minute, Las Vegas were reduced to ten men, as Eduardo Guzman went into Sainte with a hard tackle – earning a second yellow. The subsequent free kick from Justin Portillo was saved by Castillas, but Kiesewetter quickly pounced on the rebound and was fouled by the keeper. The U.S. International blasted the resulting penalty off the bottom of the crossbar and in.
United led Las Vegas in shots (17-5) and shots on target (10-2). United was called offside a whopping eight times in the match.
2,128 fans attended the match at the University of New Mexico Soccer Complex.