NM United sees ‘great learning opportunity’ with international friendly

New Mexico United is adding some international flair to its season.

The club will host Atlante FC, a team in Liga MX — Mexico’s top division — for a friendly at 7:30 p.m. July 1 at Isotopes Park, United announced Wednesday.

The match coincides with New Mexico wrapping up its mental health off week mandated by the USL Championship. Atlante, meanwhile, will be on its preseason tour under first-year manager Miguel Herrera, the former coach of the Mexican and Costa Rican national teams.

“I think the timing of this, it will actually be good for us to get a little bit of a rhythm again,” United manager Dennis Sanchez told the Journal. “The guys want to play games. They get tired of hearing my voice, so the more that they can play and do that, the better.”

It will be United’s second international friendly.

New Mexico hosted Sunderland AFC in July 2023 as part of the English club’s own preseason tour, part of which consisted of three matches against USL teams. Sunderland beat United 3-2, scoring the first three goals. Milo Garvanian scored in the 86th minute and Isaac Zuleta in the 96th on a penalty kick for New Mexico.

Atlante is making its return to Mexico’s top division after 12 years in the country’s second flight — Liga de Expansión MX — where it placed eighth in the standings last season.

Due to Mexico’s second division not being able to earn promotion to Liga MX, Atlante acquired Mazatlán’s place in the league in order to move up. Mazatlán folded April 25, a little more than a month before its sixth anniversary of being founded.

Atlante was formed in 1910 and took its current name 11 years later as one of 10 original members of Mexico’s first professional league. The club has won the CONCACAF Champions Cup/Champions League twice (1983 and 2008-09), Mexico’s top division three times (1946-47, ’92-’93 and 2007) and Liga de Expansión MX three times (2021, ’22 and ’24).

Herrera was a defender on the ’92-’93 team and played for the club in 1989-90 and ’91-’95. This is his third stint as manager, leading Atlante from 2002-04 and 2010-11. He was Mexico’s manager from 2013-15 and in charge of Costa Rica in 2025.

Soon, Herrera and his club will be in New Mexico.

“I think there are benefits,” Sanchez said of playing an international friendly. “You’re obviously playing against a different level of competition, so there’s an ability to adapt in real time, especially with a club like that. It’s really their first preseason going into the first division (and) we’re going to have a lot of unknowns.

“It’ll be a good test. Typically, it’s a higher level of speed of play. More than anything, it’s a great learning opportunity for us as a group.”

David Glovach covers New Mexico United and other sports for the Journal. Reach him at or via X @DavidGlovach.