Statistically speaking, the Western Conference was far more competitive this year. Want proof? Well, the conference top seed wasn’t settled until the final kicks of the regular season. Literally. New Mexico United knew a win would lock them in, but their match with El Paso was 0-0 as the clock struck the 90th minute. It took a fourth minute stoppage time goal from Valentin Noël to give them the victory, and the top seed. For Sacramento Republic, they hosted the stubborn but unlucky Oakland Roots knowing that they needed a win to secure second. They were down at halftime, tied it in the final ten minutes, then won it right on the stroke of regulation. That gave United 52 points to Sacramento’s 51. Now the two are one game away from the USL Championship Final. If any two teams in the West were going to end up here, it was these two.
How They Got Here
New Mexico has been the steadiest team in the playoffs. They thumped Phoenix 2-0, though to be fair that scoreline should’ve been higher as Rising finished the match with nine players. The following week they utterly thrashed Colorado Springs 4-0. Charlie Dennis scored after 91 seconds, Greg Hurst added two before halftime and Joseph Quiah put in the final goal as United won with the biggest playoff margin in club history.
Sacramento’s path has been far more rocky. To beat Tulsa in the quarterfinals they needed an 88th-minute strike from 19-year-old homegrown prospect Blake Willey, who became the youngest player in league history to score a playoff game-winner. Against El Paso Locomotive, it was Michel Benitez’s volley plus five saves from goalkeeper Danny Vitiello to take that match 2-1. Another fun stat that doesn’t bode well for New Mexico is that Sacramento hasn’t lost in more than three months, since August 5.
History and Rivalry
This rivalry has been particularly one-sided. Sacramento leads the all-time series nine wins to two, with four draws. Even more inauspicious for New Mexico, Republic knocked them out of the playoffs in 2019, 2022 and 2023, albeit every victory came at home in Sacramento. United’s own preview admits there’s “a lot of postseason history that United will look to finally overcome.”
The road team won both meetings this season, making some history along the way. On June 20, Dayonn Harris scored the only goal in New Mexico’s 1-0 win in their first ever win in Sacramento. The Republic got revenge with a 3-2 win in Albuquerque on Sept. 26. Memo RodrÃguez scored twice and Kyle Edwards added the winner coming in on a substitute. That also happens to be the last game New Mexico lost at home.
Roster Shake-Ups
Sacramento’s biggest move came in August, when they signed Cal Jennings from Japanese club FC Ryukyu. Jennings ranks third in USL Championship history with 82 regular-season goals and has played for coach Neill Collins back in Tampa Bay. He scored the opening goal against El Paso and also hit a clutch winner back in Matchweek 26 against Monterey Bay.
New Mexico is dealing with some injuries. Forward Cristian Nava is out for the season with a knee sprain. All-League center back Kipp Keller has missed both playoff games and is day-to-day, as is midfielder Zico Bailey due to an ankle issue. Tyler Blackett has filled in for Keller with three full 90-minute games.
Players to Watch
Greg Hurst became New Mexico’s all-time leading scorer on November 1, hitting his 39th goal in that quarterfinal win over Phoenix. He has 15 goals this season and three of the team’s six in the playoffs. Behind him, goalkeeper Kris Shakes leads the league in saves and save percentage. He’s a Goalkeeper of the Year finalist, and coach Dennis Sanchez is up for Coach of the Year. Shakes has a reason to need those numbers, though. He’s faced more shots than any goalkeeper in the league, and New Mexico have won none of seven games this season in which the other team scored in the first 15 minutes.
An eye-popping 21 different players have found the net for Sacramento this season, but Memo RodrÃguez leads them all with 18 goal contributions, eleven of them assists. The club’s top scorer is Michael Edwards. Most of his 9 goals came as a sub, and he is the USL’s all-time leading scorer off the bench. Veteran goalkeeper Danny Vitiello, who played one game for New Mexico way back in 2019, anchors a defense that gives up 0.9 goals per game.
Match Details
- Date: Sunday, November 15, 2026
- Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT (5:00 p.m. local MT)
- Venue: Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Watch: ESPN+ nationally; NM50 and Estrella TV locally
- At stake: A spot in the USL Championship Final on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 12 p.m. ET on CBS, against Louisville City
The Qooligan is an alias of Hooligan Soccer founder Q Williams. Q is a 20+ year veteran of numerous technology and media companies, including MTV, Gracenote, Watchwith and Crunchyroll. He has a master’s degree in European History from Columbia University. Q is also a respected Sports Journalist with extensive experience in Soccer, particularly the Premier League, Champions League, MLS and USL. The Qooligan provides analysis and valuable insights based on years of professional practice. Connect with The Qooligan on X and Bluesky. He is committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy content that reflects expertise, experience and no shortage of attitude.
