How it happened
New Mexico United beat Phoenix Rising FC 2-1 in Albuquerque, a result that held up even though Phoenix had 24 shots to 11 and an estimated 2.28 expected goals to 0.83. The hosts made fewer chances count for more.
Greg Hurst struck in the fifth minute, and New Mexico took that lead into half-time on a cloudy evening at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park, with the temperature at 27C.
Phoenix pressed for an equaliser and found it in the 72nd minute through K. Arase. The parity lasted nine minutes: C. Wilkerson scored in the 81st to settle the fixture. There were no red cards.
The numbers
Phoenix had 54% of the ball and the lion's share of the attempts, but only five of their 24 shots were on target, about one in five. New Mexico put six of their 11 on target, more than half, and scored twice. Corners finished level at four each.
Hurst had the best match rating on the pitch, 7.7, from 60 minutes, with one goal, one key pass and 19 touches. Charlie Dennis, rated 7.5, supplied an assist and three key passes from 46 touches in 72 minutes. For Phoenix, Ihsan Sacko earned a 7.6 rating with three key passes across the full 90.
Phoenix goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky made four saves but was given a match rating of 5.6.
What it means
The supplied table lists New Mexico United fifth on 46 points from 27 matches, 13 points clear of Phoenix, who sit 20th on 33. The home side's recent sequence reads W-L-L-D-D, with three wins, four draws and three defeats across their last ten.
The underlying figures offer a note of caution for the hosts: across 27 matches they have produced 31 expected goals while allowing 46.8, yet have scored 41 and conceded 32. Phoenix, by contrast, have 38 expected goals for and 35.1 against but a goal difference of -4. This match fitted that pattern closely.
It also reversed the previous meeting in April, when Phoenix won 3-0 at home. The two sides have now met 15 times, averaging 3.6 goals a game.