​Saturday, 7:25 p.m. at Isotopes Park, 1601 Avenida Cesar Chavez. SETV/streaming/radio: New Mexico 50/ESPN+. FM-101.7. Records: Oakland Roots SC (5-3-6), New Mexico United (5-4-3). The series stands 4-3-3 in Oakland’s favor.
And we’re back—well, New Mexico United is anyway. After a two-week break, the club returns to USL Championship play on Saturday against Oakland Roots SC, and the stretch run promises plenty of drama.
Here are a few notes:
Free kicks
1. READY FOR THE SECOND HALF? The USL Championship’s break for mental health is over, and so is the first half of the season. After a slow start, United has climbed into a solid position in the 12-team Western Conference, sitting fifth with 18 points. The playoffs include the top eight teams, with the top four seeds hosting a first-round game. There are still 18 regular-season games left for United, including Saturday, and a lot can change between now and the end of the season. That said, the remaining slate should provide plenty of intrigue for clubs and fans alike.
In the West, Orange County SC leads with 26 points, San Antonio FC has 24, and the standings are tight from there. Roots are third with 21, followed by FC Tulsa (19), United (18), Phoenix Rising FC (17), and El Paso Locomotive FC, Sacramento Republic FC, and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (16 each). Las Vegas Lights FC and Lexington SC are on 15, while Monterey Bay FC sits at 14.
2. HE’S CERTAINLY NOT A VOLLEYBALL: “Wilson!” You’ve likely pictured the scene—a volleyball with a red handprint drifting out to sea as Tom Hanks’ character in Cast Away calls out in distress. A bad pun? Possibly. But Oakland forward Peter Wilson is anything but harmless. He’s been a thorn for many defenders this season. Wilson is tied for second in the USL Championship with nine regular-season goals in 12 appearances, just two behind Darren Smith of Detroit City FC. Remarkably, all of Wilson’s goals have come in his last seven appearances. This follows a season after he won the league’s Golden Boot with 18 goals in 2025. It’s worth noting that Wilson did not score against United in their first meeting of the season, a 2-1 Roots victory on March 14.
3. ONE (SMALL) STREAK HAS TO END: New Mexico enters Saturday’s match on a six-match unbeaten run across the regular season, USL Cup, and an international friendly. Oakland hasn’t lost in its last four. So, one streak is bound to end, and fans will be curious to see which teams each side faced during that stretch. After a 1-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 20, United defeated Charleston Battery (1-0), drew with Hartford Athletic (0-0), and defeated Phoenix (4-?).