ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico United celebrated Independence Day with a victory and a record-setting crowd, defeating the Oakland Roots 2-1 at RGCU Field at Isotopes Park on Saturday night.
The announced crowd of 14,847 marked the largest attendance in club history and watched United secure three important points in the USL Championship standings.
The Black and Yellow struck early when Albuquerque native Cristian Nava found the back of the net in the sixth minute, scoring his first goal at Isotopes Park since 2022.
“Being able to score in front of 14,000 fans is something that you wake up in the morning and don’t really realize is going to happen,” Nava said after the match. “You enjoy every single second of it.”
United doubled its advantage in the 41st minute when Zico Bailey scored his second goal of the season, sending the home side into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
Head Coach Dennis Sanchez praised his team’s first-half performance, noting the defensive effort that limited Oakland’s attack.
“I thought the first half was fantastic,” Sanchez said. “I thought we were tough in the first half and really should have been up maybe three or four goals. They didn’t really have a lot of answers for what we were doing.”
Oakland’s lone goal came in the 67th minute when reigning USL Championship Golden Boot winner Peter Wilson converted a penalty kick to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Despite late pressure from the visitors, New Mexico held on for the victory before a postgame fireworks show capped off the evening.
Sanchez also singled out Nava’s impact on the team.
“The guy works his butt off every single time,” Sanchez said. “He grinds, he epitomizes what a New Mexican is, and to see him reward himself within the run of play and with the first goal is fantastic for him.”
Midfielder Valentin Noël called the atmosphere and result a memorable combination.
“I’m super happy with the result,” Noël said. “Things to improve, for sure, but overall I love the three points at home.”
He added:
“It’s one of those nights that you almost remember forever. A packed house, a win, fireworks—I couldn’t ask for better.”
With the victory, New Mexico United moves into third place in the USL Championship Western Conference, sitting six points behind first-place Orange County SC while holding two matches in hand.
