USL Fresno FC

Fresno FC vs. New Mexico United Preview

Published on July 13, 2019 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Fresno FC News Release


FRESNO, Calif. - Los Zorros host New Mexico United for the first of two straight home matches for Fresno FC, which enters the second half of the season with 32 points and a hold on third place in the Western Conference. Fresno will look to continue its climb up the standings Saturday night when the Foxes can extend their winning streak to four in a row with 3 points against a New Mexico team that will play its third game in eight days.

Most recently, New Mexico suffered a 6-1 defeat at Minnesota United in the quarterfinals of the US Open Cup on Wednesday. Despite the club's deep run into the domestic tournament, New Mexico has been at a standstill in the USL Championship, where it has lost three of its last four and not captured a victory since May 25th. New Mexico's arsenal is powered by the scoring duo of Kevaughn Frater (11 goals) and Santi Moar (nine goals), but will be without the former as Frater will serve a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation. He picked up his eighth of the season on July 6 at Real Monarchs. Also out for the visitors is midfielder Juan Pablo Guzman, who was suspended one game for his red card in that same match. Nonetheless, the visitors will arrive in Fresno hungry for their first victory in more than six weeks.

For Fresno, Qudus Lawal continues to lead all scorers with nine goals this season, and goalkeeper CJ Cochran and the Foxes' defense earned their sixth clean sheet with their 1-0 win over Sacramento on July 3. Fresno will likely field its 11th different lineup of the 2019 season as both Jackson and Jaime Chavez will serve one-game suspensions. Chavez received a red card against Sacramento, and Jackson was served a suspension following the review of an incident in his side's contest with Sacramento Republic FC on July 3 by the Independent Discipline Panel.

HE SAID IT

Head Coach ADAM SMITH

On the matchup...

"This is a different game than the first for a number of factors. This is a lot different now. We know what they're about. We know what they do. We know their strengths. We know their weaknesses. And I know about our team now, and our team knows about each other. That, paired with us playing at our home, replacing the altitude for the Valley heat, leads me to believe we'll see a much different game than we did the first week of the season."

On the Fresno's first game in 10 days.

"We do have the advantage and I don't want us to be complacent with that advantage. The shoe is on the other foot now. We're not the team that's been on the road for 10 days. Our guys have been able to get a bit of rest coming back from our last match and fourth of July. We're at home again, now. Certainly, we have the upper hand, but we can't take anything for granted."

"It's important for us as a group to come off this break sharp. I've had to get the guys back up in terms of physical and mental speed. They know they have to come back and hit the ground running and that's the first thing I'll be looking for when the whistle blows tonight. That we come blowing out of the blocks straight away."

HEAD-TO-HEAD

0-0-1 all-time

The two sides split a 1-1 draw in Week 1 of the 2019 USL Championship regular season. New Mexico grabbed an early lead on a strike from Devon Sandoval before Fresno equalized with a second-half header from Jackson.

SINCE THEN...

It's been 18 weeks since these two sides clashed in the season opener. Since that game, New Mexico has seen its slip from the No. 1-spot in the Western Conference down to seventh in the last 40 days.

Fresno has had its share of turbulence, as well. The Foxes slipped down to 13th during an eight-match unbeaten streak to start the regular season, but have since clawed their way into third, where they are just one point behind second-place Portland and five out from Phoenix in the top spot.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from July 13, 2019


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