​Rewriting Saturday’s match details: When: 7 p.m. Where: Southwest University Park, El Paso, Texas. TV/streaming/radio: New Mexico 50/ESPN+/FM-101.7. USL Cup records: New Mexico United 2-1, El Paso Locomotive FC 2-1. The series: United leads 7-6-8.
The regular season is paused again for the USL Championship and USL League One, which means one thing—the USL Cup is back. New Mexico United visits El Paso Locomotive FC on Saturday. Here are some key points to know.
Free kicks
1. SURVIVE AND ADVANCE? The USL Cup group stage is winding down. Saturday marks the fourth and final match of this portion of the tournament. The seven group winners and one second-place club will move on to the knockout rounds that begin Aug. 12, and two spots have already been secured. Colorado Springs clinched Group 2, the same group that United and Locomotive belong to, while the Tampa Bay Rowdies clinched Group 7. United and Locomotive still have a shot at the lone, coveted second-place slot, though it remains uncertain whether teams place the same value on continuing beyond the group stage. The wildcard berth is awarded to the non-group winner with the most points in the standings. If teams are tied, the tiebreaker goes to most goals scored, rather than goal differential—a somewhat unusual rule. Right now, New Mexico and El Paso both have six points, placing them among eight clubs with at least that total. How they secure advancement, however, is a bit murky. United could advance with a “high-scoring victory in regulation” combined with a regulation win for either Charleston Battery or Charlotte Independence in Group 6. What exactly constitutes a “high-scoring victory” remains undefined. Locomotive could reach the knockout stage with a “high-scoring win” coupled with a regulation win for either Charleston Battery or Charlotte Independence. In short: the path to the next round is dependent on scenarios that are not entirely clear.
2. FÚTBOL IS LIFE: If you’ve watched Ted Lasso, you’ve heard the line “Fútbol is life.” The character Dani Rojas made it famous. Fans tuning in to United vs. Locomotive could get a real glimpse of Rojas on the field. Cristo Fernández joined Locomotive on May 12, but has yet to appear for El Paso in eight matches since. Multiple Texas-based reports suggest Fernández could make his club debut on Saturday, though nothing is guaranteed.
3. INJURY UPDATE: New Mexico hasn’t suffered a flood of injuries recently, but they’re still waiting on key players to return. Forward Niall Reid-Stephen has missed the last three games with an MCL sprain, and forward/defender Jake LaCava has been out since May 30 with a broken toe. Reid-Stephen is United’s top offensive option who can help with goal-scoring consistency. The team will be hoping for a healthy squad to close out the group stage and Secure a playoff spot.
In short, Saturday’s matchup at Southwest University Park pits two teams with similar current resumes against one another as they push to secure a spot in the USL Cup knockout rounds. The stakes are high, the potential twists are plenty, and the scene promises a competitive, must-watch encounter.