'You want a hot take?' NM United has plenty of thoughts on soccer's biggest event
Watch party events
New Mexico United and Albuquerque are teaming up to World Cup watch parties around the city.
The events will feature broadcasts of matches, food trucks and other activities.
All parties are free and open to the public.
Schedule
June 11: Mexico vs. South Africa, 1 p.m., Westgate Community Center Athletic Fields
June 12: USA vs. Paraguay, 7 p.m., Montgomery Park
June 18: Mexico vs. South Korea, 7 p.m., Phil Chacón Park
June 19: USA vs. Australia, 1 p.m., Mariposa Basin Park
June 24: Mexico vs. Czech Republic, 7 p.m., Civic Plaza
June 25: USA vs. Turkey, 8 p.m., Civic Plaza
More watch parties will be announced should the USMNT advance to the knockout rounds.
Sure, those associated with New Mexico United are around soccer for a living. But that doesn’t mean players and coaches get tired of it.
Especially, when it comes to the sport’s biggest tournament: the World Cup.
The most popular sporting event in the world — co-hosted this year by the United States, Mexico and Canada — starts Thursday and those associated with NM United certainly have some thoughts.
• • •
Like most soccer fans, players and coaches have their favorites — and longshots — to hoist the 23rd FIFA World Cup champion trophy. A conversation with a few of United’s players and coaches brought a wide variety of answers. Some answers were honest, while others were … hopeful.
Daniel Bruce, assistant coach (who is a true Englishman): An easy one. England and England.
Dennis Sanchez, manager: I feel like Norway is very much an underdog. I don’t know how they’re going to translate to the heat, but I feel like they’re pretty dangerous. Of course, I’m going for the U.S, and then you have your normal teams like France, which is always dangerous. I think Brazil will be back to kind of its normal self with (manager Carlo Ancelotti). Japan is always an interesting one. There’s always an Asian team that comes through.
Maliek Howell, defender: I’m a Messi guy, so I got to go with Argentina. I’m going to say Japan is an underdog (to watch) because I played them (with the Jamaican national team) and it was the hardest game. But there’s also Mexico. This altitude, the heat, all those factors that people are not taking into consideration; it’s going to change how the European players come and adapt. Everyone is just running with names at the moment and that’s not the game. The game is winning the day.
Ousman Jabang, defender: Portugal is my favorite and Senegal is my underdog. Bruno (Fernandes) is probably going to carry Portugal to the promised land. And Senegal because it’s the closest country to Gambia.
Justin Rennicks, forward: Well, I got to go with the U.S. for the underdogs. My favorite? Realistically? Probably France. No real reason behind it, but that’s probably how that’s going to be.
Kris Shakes, goalkeeper: I got my money on France because of PSG, but also not because of PSG. They strike fear in everyone that stands in their way — the back line, the front line, the keeper.
Greg Hurst, forward (who is a true Scotsman): On paper, France has to be the favorite. And my darkhorse? Scotland.
Zico Bailey, midfielder: My favorite has to be Spain just because I think (Barcelona forward Lamine) Yamal will have a good World Cup. Canada is my underdog. They’re one of the hosts and they have a lot of good players.
Jabang: Not more than Scotland.
Rennicks: A player to watch? How about a little Tajon Buchanan (for Canada)? I’ll hype him up a little bit.
Chris Gloster, defender: An underdog? I’m going to say Curaçao. Yeah, I like that one. I mean, they’ve performed pretty well.
Hurst: Scotland just beat them 4-1.
Gloster: It’s the first time they’ve gotten to the World Cup, bro. Watch out for them. They’re a good team.
Hurst: Good team? I’ll tell you what, for 20 minutes they were a good team.
• • •
Whichever country wins, the World Cup tends to deliver some iconic moments; moments that can leavefans exhilarated, stunned or downright depressed.
So, what are some favorite World Cup moments for United players and coaches?
Rennicks: Shoot, I don’t know if I can even pick one to be honest … I don’t think I can remember any, honestly. Nada.
Sanchez: Going to McDonald’s and getting the little pins during the ’94 World Cup. You’d go to McDonalds and get a happy meal, and it was different pins of different countries. That was great.
Shakes: When it was in Brazil (in 2014) and Brazil got touched up in the semifinal (by France). I think it was 7-1. That’s something that will stick with me forever just because I felt for them, you feel me? Not necessarily in a good or bad way, but that had to be tough.
Howell: I got this. Robin van Persie. The header from the deep (in the Netherlands’ 5-1 win against Spain in its 2014 opener.). You guys remember that?
Jabang: It has to be (Luis) Suárez’s handball (against Ghana in the 2010 quarterfinals). Broke a lot of African hearts.
Bruce: Opening game 2006, Germany (against Costa Rica). Torsten Frings, just smacking it, bang (in the 4-2 win).
Jabang: Ugh, 2006, man
Niall Reid-Stephen, forward: Oh, South Africa in 2010. Their first goal (in the 1-1 draw against Mexico in the opener). What was his name? I forgot it.
Hurst: (Siphiwe) Tshabalala. (That was the) most iconic World Cup goal or moment. (It was the first World Cup goal scored on African soil.)
Bailey: I’ll say Tshabalala, too. That’s my first World Cup memory.
Gloster: All right, I’ll go with Landon Donvan and his goal for the USA.
Bailey: Who they’d play against? (Laughing)
Gloster: No, it wasn’t Landon Donovan. It was Clint Dempsey against an African team (in 2014).
Hurst: Is that the one where he touched it with his left foot? Left foot, cross goal, posting it. I just saw the highlight yesterday.
Jabang: It was (against) Ghana.
Hurst: You want a hot take? James Rodríguez’s goal (for Columbia against Uruguay in the 2014 World Cup) is one of the most overrated goals. (Rodríguez controlled the ball with his chest and sank a volley in the top corner in a 2-0 win in the round of 16.)
Bailey: No, come on.
Gloster: Next question because we can’t start this here.
• • •
Some World Cups hold a certain prestige over others. It won’t take long to determine if the 2026 tournament can measure up to those expectations. Or at least come close.
Which World Cup do United’s players and coaches think is the most iconic?
Shakes: South Africa (in) 2010 is my favorite. The chants, Shakira — that’s by babe.
Hurst: I think South Africa was the most iconic. I think it had the most fun around it — the goals, the atmosphere, it looked unbelievable. It was a tournament that brought the world into football. More people starting watching football after that tournament.
Jabang: That’s a good take.
Gloster: It’s 2022 with Messi lifting that trophy.
Jabang: 2014 in Brazil, for sure. I was in Gambia, too, so it was lit.
Carlos Tenorio, communications manager: (Looking at Bruce) 1966?
Bruce: (Laughs) A good team. A good team. (It was the last time England won the World Cup.)
Hurst: (Also looking at Bruce) Remember it like it was yesterday?
David Glovach covers New Mexico United and other sports for the Journal. Reach him at dglovach@abqjournal.com or via X @DavidGlovach.
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