It’s here. 2019 season is finally here. After a nice winter break (really it was like the team went into hibernation with how little info was given between November and January) we are finally back into real soccer.

The Match

Fresno FC will take on New Mexico United away at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque on Saturday, March 9th at 6:30 P.M. pst.

Expectations

United are a new side in the USL, they are untested, and we don’t have a lot to go off of in terms of what we can expect. United are coming off a successful pre-season with wins against at least 2 USL sides (OKC and El Paso), and despite having to gel they look dangerous. The Foxes will have their work cut out for them with this match.

The Tea

There is a lot of hype surrounding United, they are actually ranked higher on the USL’s power ranking, with expectations that they will finish higher than Fresno this season. While that is a shame, I can’t say I am surprised. Last season saw us sitting in 11th place, and there is probably little expectation that we will do better this season.

Our defensive frailties last season, coupled with a penchant for allowing last-minute goals, sealed our reputation as a team that struggles on the road. This might be United’s first game in the USL, but we are still proving ourselves when it comes to the competition in general. This season we really have to show ourselves to be a quality side, or it will really create a reputation for us as one of the bottom table sides.

I am not as skeptical as the people making the power rankings, with the addition of some outstanding players and the dearth of new attacking options, I think we stand an excellent chance of taking down United – if we stick to our strengths. Everyone is healthy at the moment, meaning we could field Johnson, Caffa, and every other starter on our bench – we need to come out strong, control the game, and get our shots into the goal (last year we had tons of shots, but our on target ratio was pretty awful).

The Opposition

United will come out with confidence, they have a massive crowd for the first game (selling 2,500 season tickets and over 9,000 for the night – our record last season was just under 8,000), and they are going to look to play on our issues from last season. Hopefully, Smith has addressed some of those, but it will probably be a tough game. United, despite others saying their team looks strong, really don’t have a superstar striker – most of their forwards average about 4-6 goals a season, but it will be up to us to stop whatever they can put forward.

Aside from the history of their players’ performance, their fan support, and their pre-season success United also boast a robust business plan and seem to be doing exactly what we want at Fresno FC. They market well, they sell tickets, and their fans are excited. Even if they lose United will be a formidable force for years to come and are a team that we need to watch out for if we have any hope of climbing the western conference table.

Score Prediction

If Smith can get it right, I think Fresno should win this game. We have had a year to work out kinks, and our team has added strength the strength while cutting the fat. We had a strong preseason, and so I am going to say:

2-1 to the Foxes.

Hopefully, we can pull it off.

#SomosZorros