Match Report
25 points separated the sides: New Mexico United 4th on 43, Monterey Bay 23rd on 18. New Mexico United had been under-performing their position — 12th on five-round form against 4th in the table. Per game in the league, Monterey Bay were scoring 1 and conceding 1.72, New Mexico United 1.54 and 1.13, against a competition average of 1.36 goals per team per game.
Defeat had followed defeat for Monterey Bay — four in succession. Momentum sat with New Mexico United, winners of their last three, having scored in 6 consecutive games. The five-game form split read 1/15 points for Monterey Bay against 13/15 for New Mexico United.
The sides have met 4 times in the GioScore results database: 1 win for Monterey Bay, 1 draw and 2 for New Mexico United, at 2.25 goals per meeting. The pattern favours whoever hosts: home teams have won 75% of the meetings. Low-scoring is the pattern: just 25% of the meetings went over two goals.
It was 1-1 at the break, and the second half added 5 goals for the 2-5 full-time score.
Goal scorers
Monterey Bay: Ryuga Nakamura (31'), Sebastian Lletget (55') · New Mexico United: Valentin Noël (6'), Greg Hurst (74'), Valentin Noël (77'), Dayonn Harris (86'), Niall Reid-Stephen (90')
Key stats
Possession: Monterey Bay 45% · New Mexico United 55% · Total shots: 25-12 · On target: 8-7 · Corners: 12-2