| Club: | New Mexico United |
| Season: | 2022 |
| Mgrtitle: | Head coach |
| Manager: | Zach Prince |
| Stadium: | Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| League: | USL |
| League Result: | Western Conference: 5th League: 12th |
| Cup1: | USL Cup Playoffs |
| Cup1 Result: | Western Conference Quarterfinals |
| Cup3: | Four Corners Cup |
| Cup3 Result: | Cancelled |
| Highest Attendance: | 14,519 (10/15 v. COS) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 7,731 (3/30 v. OAK) |
| Largest Win: | NM 7–0 PHX (5/24) |
| Largest Loss: | NM 0–3 MIA (8/6) |
| Chrtitle: | CEO |
| Chairman: | Peter Trevisani |
| Prevseason: | 2021 |
| Nextseason: | 2023 |
| Cup2: | U.S. Open Cup |
| Cup2 Result: | 3rd Round |
| Pattern La1: | _nmu22h |
| Pattern B1: | _nmu22h |
| Pattern Ra1: | _nmu22h |
| Pattern Sh1: | _nmu20H |
| Leftarm1: | 000000 |
| Body1: | 000000 |
| Rightarm1: | 000000 |
| Shorts1: | 000000 |
| Socks1: | 000000 |
| Pattern La2: | _nmu22a |
| Pattern B2: | _nmu22a |
| Pattern Ra2: | _nmu22a |
| Leftarm2: | FFDD00 |
| Body2: | FFDD00 |
| Rightarm2: | FFDD00 |
| Shorts2: | FFDD00 |
| Socks2: | FFDD00 |
| Pattern La3: | _pumafinalg21gg |
| Pattern B3: | _pumafinalg21gg |
| Pattern Ra3: | _pumafinalg21gg |
| Leftarm3: | 26FFED |
| Body3: | 26FFED |
| Rightarm3: | 26FFED |
| Shorts3: | 03bb85 |
| Socks3: | 03bb85 --> |
| American: | yes |
The 2022 New Mexico United season was the fourth season for New Mexico United in the USL Championship, the second-tier professional soccer league in the United States.The 2022 USL Championship season was set to begin on March 12, with New Mexico United set to play their first competitive game against Las Vegas Lights FC.[1]
The club concluded its 2021 season with a 3-1 win over Real Monarchs on October 30. Finishing 5th in the Mountain Division, New Mexico failed to qualify for the USL Championship playoffs. Following the conclusion of the season, Saalih Muhammad's loan spell ended, and he returned to Oakland Roots SC.[2]
Six days later, on November 5 the club announced the departure of inaugural head coach Troy Lesesne after three seasons.[3] His successor, Zach Prince, was announced on November 15, having served as Lesesne's assistant for the past three seasons.[4]
In December, Justin Schmidt and Juan Pablo Guzmán left the club, with the former retiring from playing to join the US Army.[5] [6] December also saw 5 players join the club. Justin Portillo joined from Real Monarchs on December 18,[7] followed by the signing of Haitian youth international Carl Sainté on December 22 from Haitian side Violette AC,[8] and Comorian international Alexis Souahy on December 28 from Louisville City FC.[9] United finished the calendar year by announcing the signings of Tabort Etaka Preston and Neco Brett on December 29 from Hartford Athletic and December 31 from Birmingham Legion FC, respectively.[10] [11]
In January, midfielder Will Seymore joined the club from Finn Harps F.C.[12] On January 8, New Mexico announced the signing of Raddy Ovouka from Ghanaian side Accra Hearts of Oak.[13] Second-choice goalkeeper Philipp Beigl left the club on January 10, moving to El Paso Locomotive.[14] Forward Brian Brown left the club on January 25 in a player transfer with FC Tulsa for Jerome Kiesewetter.[15] Isidro Martinez left the club on January 27, followed the next day by the announcement of the club's 2022 roster, which did not include Will Palmquist, David Najem, Alex Touche, Andrew Tinari, or Devon Sandoval.[16]
On March 1, the club announced the signing of goalkeeper and Albuquerque native Ford Parker from Birmingham Legion. New Mexico United began its competitive season on March 13, winning their home and season opener 2-0 over Las Vegas Lights.[17] The team was unbeaten in their 4 competitive matches in March, beating El Paso Locomotive away on March 19 before consecutive home draws to Orange County SC and Oakland Roots on March 26 and 30, respectively.
| No. | Name | Nationality | Position(s) | Date of birth (age) | Season signed | Previous club | Apps. | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | |||||||||
| 1 | Alex Tambakis | GK | 8 December 1992 | 2021 | North Carolina FC | 35 | 0 | ||
| 12 | Ford Parker | GK | 16 August 1996 | 2022 | Birmingham Legion FC | 2 | 0 | ||
| 24 | Cody Mizell | GK | 30 September 1991 | 2022 | New York City FC | 58 | 0 | ||
| Defenders | |||||||||
| 3 | Austin Yearwood |  | LB | 12 August 1994 | 2019 | Richmond Kickers | 73 | 1 | |
| 5 | Josh Suggs | | LB/CB | 24 April 1989 | 2019 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | 76 | 4 | |
| 6 | Alexis Souahy | CB | 13 January 1995 | 2022 | Louisville City FC | 6 | 0 | ||
| 15 | Rashid Tetteh |  | CB | 14 July 1995 | 2019 | High Point Panthers | 69 | 0 | |
| 22 | Kalen Ryden | | CB/LB | 29 January 1991 | 2020 | Real Monarchs | 47 | 2 | |
| 26 | Raddy Ovouka | LB | 7 December 1999 | 2022 | Accra Hearts of Oak S.C. (on loan) | 4 | 1 | ||
| Midfielders | |||||||||
| 4 | Sam Hamilton | | DM/CB | 26 July 1995 | 2019 | Colorado Rapids | 57 | 2 | |
| 11 | Sergio Rivas | AM | 3 October 1997 | 2021 | Reno 1868 | 35 | 6 | ||
| 16 | Will Seymore | | CM | 29 February 1992 | 2022 | Finn Harps F.C. | 7 | 0 | |
| 18 | Carl Sainté | CM | 9 August 2002 | 2022 | Violette AC | 4 | 1 | ||
| 23 | Micheal Azira |  | CM/DM | 22 August 1987 | 2021 | Chicago Fire FC | 32 | 1 | |
| 25 | Daniel Bruce | RW/RM | 13 May 1996 | 2019 | UNC Charlotte 49ers | 76 | 5 | ||
| 33 | Harry Swartz | | RB/RM | 19 March 1996 | 2021 | Hartford Athletic | 19 | 2 | |
| 43 | Justin Portillo | | CM/DM | 9 September 1992 | 2022 | Real Monarchs | 8 | 0 | |
| Forwards | |||||||||
| 7 | Neco Brett | CF | 22 March 1992 | 2022 | Birmingham Legion FC | 7 | 4 | ||
| 9 | Devon Sandoval | | CF | 16 June 1991 | 2019 | Atlanta United 2 | 82 | 25 | |
| 10 | Amando Moreno | LW/RW/AM | 10 September 1995 | 2020 | Chicago Fire | 36 | 11 | ||
| 14 | Ilija Ilić | CF | 26 April 1991 | 2021 | Indy Eleven | 25 | 3 | ||
| 17 | Jerome Kiesewetter | | CF | 9 February 1993 | 2022 | FC Tulsa | 4 | 2 | |
| 19 | Tabort Etaka Preston | LW | 10 June 1998 | 2022 | Hartford Athletic | 8 | 1 | ||
| 41 | Chris Wehan | | AM/CM/LM | 29 January 1994 | 2021 | Orange County SC | 74 | 29 | |
| 45 | Cristian Nava | | CF | 2 September 2003 | 2021 | — | 8 | 0 | |
| Pos. | No. | Player | To club | Exit date | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | 17 | Justin Schmidt | Retired | December 7, 2021 | ||
| DM/CM | 8 |  Juan Pablo Guzmán | Free agent | December 10, 2021 | ||
| GK | 27 | Philipp Beigl | El Paso Locomotive FC | January 10, 2022 | ||
| CF | 99 | Brian Brown | FC Tulsa | January 25, 2022 | ||
| DM/CM | 7 | Isidro Martinez | Released | January 27, 2022 | [19] | |
| GK | 12 | Will Palmquist | Free agent | January 28, 2022 | ||
| RB/RM/LB | 6 | David Najem | Free agent | January 28, 2022 | ||
| CB | 16 | Alex Touche | Free agent | January 28, 2022 | ||
| CM | 20 | Andrew Tinari | Free agent | January 28, 2022 | ||
| CF | 9 | Devon Sandoval | Free agent | January 28, 2022 | ||
| CF | 14 | Ilija Ilić | released | July 18, 2022 |
| Pos. | Player | From club | Date | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CM/DM | Justin Portillo | Real Monarchs | December 18, 2021 | ||
| CM | Carl Sainté | Violette AC | December 22, 2021 | ||
| CB | Alexis Souahy | Louisville City FC | December 28, 2021 | ||
| LW | Tabort Etaka Preston | Hartford Athletic | December 29, 2021 | [20] | |
| CF | Neco Brett | Birmingham Legion FC | December 31, 2021 | ||
| CM | Will Seymore | Finn Harps F.C. | January 2, 2022 | [21] | |
| CF | Jerome Kiesewetter | FC Tulsa | January 25, 2022 | [22] | |
| GK | Ford Parker | Birmingham Legion FC | March 1, 2022 | [23] | |
| CF | Devon Sandoval | Free Agent | May 19, 2022 | [24] | |
| CF | Romario Williams | Al-Qadsia | July 14, 2022 | [25] | |
| FWD | Kevaughn Frater |  Hapoel Nof HaGalil F.C. | August 8, 2022 | [26] |
| Pos. | Player | From club | Date | Until | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | Raddy Ovouka | Accra Hearts of Oak S.C. | January 8, 2022 | End of season | [27] | |
| GK | Cody Mizell | New York City FC | April 15, 2022 | April 24, 2022 | [28] |
In January, New Mexico United announced a series of three pre-season friendly matches in San Diego in February against San Diego Loyal SC,[29] Vancouver Whitecaps FC,[30] Orange County SC.[31] Followed by a friendly in El Paso against El Paso Locomotive, before finishing up the pre-season schedule at home versus USL League 1 expansion side Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC at United's home training facility.[32]
See main article: 2022 USL Championship season. On December 21, the USL announced the competition format for the 2022 season. New Mexico United was placed into a 13-team Western Conference, and will play 34 games in the regular season; a double round robin against conference opponents with an additional 10 games against various opponents from around the league.[33] New Mexico United and the USL announced the full schedule on January 13.[34]
source:[35]
See main article: article and 2022 USL Championship Playoffs.
See main article: 2022 U.S. Open Cup. New Mexico United will enter the U.S. Open Cup in the Second Round, to be played between April 5 and April 7. The Second Round draw took place on February 11, 2022, where it was announced that United would face the winner of the opening round match between Park City Red Wolves SC and Las Vegas Legends.[36] After defeating the Park City Red Wolves in the first round, Las Vegas Legends were defeated by United in the second. For the third round, New Mexico United were placed into the Mountain regional draw, along with fellow USL Championship member Phoenix Rising, USL League One side Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, and MLS side Real Salt Lake. Along with Northern Colorado, United declined to host in this round, so they were drawn to determine who would visit Wild Horse Pass, and who would visit Rio Tinto Stadium. As it happened, United were drawn away to Phoenix. This made their third round match their second consecutive match-up with Phoenix.[37]
| Name | Goals | Assists | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | DF | Austin Yearwood | 3 | 3 | 207 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | MF | Sam Hamilton | 6 | 5 | 480 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | DF | Josh Suggs | 2 | 1 | 123 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | DF | Alexis Souahy | 4 | 4 | 360 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 7 | FW | Neco Brett | 6 | 5 | 474 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | FW | Amando Moreno | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | MF | Sergio Rivas | 5 | 2 | 224 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | FW | Ilija Ilić | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | DF | Rashid Tetteh | 4 | 4 | 356 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 16 | MF | Will Seymore | 5 | 5 | 450 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| 17 | FW | Jerome Kiesewetter | 2 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 18 | MF | Carl Sainté | 3 | 1 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 19 | FW | Tabort Etaka Preston | 6 | 5 | 359 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 22 | DF | Kalen Ryden | 1 | 1 | 90 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 23 | MF | Micheal Azira | 2 | 0 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 25 | MF | Daniel Bruce | 6 | 5 | 451 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| 26 | DF | Raddy Ovouka | 2 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 33 | MF | Harry Swartz | 6 | 6 | 514 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 41 | MF | Chris Wehan | 6 | 6 | 522 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 43 | MF | Justin Portillo | 6 | 6 | 540 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | |
| 45 | FW | Cristian Nava | 1 | 1 | 90 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Name | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Tambakis | 4 | 4 | 360 | 9 | 69.2% | 4 | 1.000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | Ford Parker | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 24 | Cody Mizell | 2 | 2 | 180 | 5 | 71.4% | 2 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Name | Goals | Assists | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | DF | Austin Yearwood | 2 | 1 | 134 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | MF | Sam Hamilton | 2 | 1 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | DF | Alexis Souahy | 2 | 2 | 136 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | FW | Neco Brett | 1 | 1 | 90 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 11 | MF | Sergio Rivas | 1 | 1 | 79 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | FW | Ilija Ilić | 1 | 1 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | DF | Rashid Tetteh | 1 | 1 | 79 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 16 | MF | Will Seymore | 2 | 2 | 180 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 17 | FW | Jerome Kiesewetter | 2 | 1 | 109 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 18 | MF | Carl Sainté | 1 | 1 | 90 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 19 | FW | Tabort Etaka Preston | 2 | 0 | 97 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 23 | MF | Micheal Azira | 2 | 1 | 122 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 25 | MF | Daniel Bruce | 2 | 2 | 136 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 26 | DF | Raddy Ovouka | 2 | 1 | 134 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 33 | MF | Harry Swartz | 1 | 1 | 71 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 41 | MF | Chris Wehan | 2 | 2 | 142 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 43 | MF | Justin Portillo | 2 | 1 | 101 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |