Win at home. Many coaches preach this to their players, although there is rarely a true “home field advantage.” Eric Quill has found one through New Mexico United. United has always struggled to finish games at Isotopes Park, but this season is off to a better start. United remains undefeated at home after four games, outscoring its opponents 6-1 in the first half. Coach Quill has emphasised the importance of getting out to a fast start, and he’s doing so by taking advantage of a luxury that few teams enjoy. Game strategy centred on his hometown’s elevation.
When Quill took over as head coach, he realized that playing games in high altitude was something that he could exploit. Visiting teams aren’t accustomed to the thinner air and can become fatigued much quicker. While there are many teams that play home games at similar elevations, superior conditioning is typically the only advantage. Coach Quill, however, figured out how to attack while his opponent is acclimating to playing with less oxygen.
“Trying to keep the ball for long periods of time and make them chase,” said Quill. “So, in the very early stages of the game, which especially is the time in which the altitude hurts opponents is the first 25 to 30 minutes, and really put teams under while they’re trying to catch their breath. On the defensive side, pressing them and making them play under stress when they’re tired from just winning the ball back after a long spell of possession. They’re tired and fatigued, so we can counter press and get their heads down and make them feel like they’re being suffocated.”
In order to make this strategy work, Quill needed a specific skillset from his players. He made do with the roster he inherited when hired in the middle of last season, however, he has since made over 20 roster transitions to fit this style of play.
“I had to kind of figure out the algorithm to player profiles that we had… We had an offseason to build a roster with guys that can press and guys that are tidy and technical and can play under stress when they’re being pressured. So you can see the difference, and it’s working.”
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