Bobby Murphy Reflects On Undefeated Start For Portland Hearts of Pine

“I think the group has come a long way. I think they've suffered at times and come through it. I think it's hard for players to acknowledge that it's important to do that.”

Photo Courtesy of Portland Hearts of Pine

With two scoreless road draws in league play and two wins in the U.S. Open Cup, Portland Hearts of Pine are undefeated through four games.

It’s a good start for the USL League One expansion club, which hasn’t had an easy schedule to start the year.

Hearts’ first league game was in difficult conditions in Naples, FL. Four days later, they hosted Hartford Athletic of the USL Championship in Lewiston, ME. The club was overjoyed to advance in penalties after 120 minutes, but the next day, they embarked on a 15-hour journey ahead of Saturday’s game against Spokane Velocity.

“I feel good about the team,” head coach and sporting director Bobby Murphy told The Blazing Musket. “I think the group has come a long way. I think they've suffered at times and come through it. I think it’s hard for players to acknowledge that it's important to do that.”

Murphy is particularly impressed with the group's mentality, noting the extensive travel and exhausting schedule could’ve been used as excuses on Saturday.

The team faced further adversity when Samuel Mahlamäki Camacho couldn’t play. But Hearts pivoted, with Nathan Messer playing a spot he’s never played before, Walter Varela operating as a wingback, and Masashi Wada stepping into the lineup despite arriving in the United States just days earlier.

“We talk about how heroes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes,” Murphy explained.

The starting lineup, which also featured Shandon Wright, Mikey Lopez, and Evan Southern getting their first starts of the season, performed well and had a couple of good early looks on goal, first through Southern and then through Azaad Liadi.

Spokane, who lost in the USL League One Final last year, did have opportunities of their own, including one that hit the woodwork. In the end, both teams took a point.

“[Hearts players] had every excuse to come out and not compete, and no one would have pointed a finger at them,” Murphy said. “That's a choice they could have made, and they chose not to. They chose to dig in and grind to get the point on the road.”

It’s been a positive start for Hearts, especially since Fitzpatrick Stadium isn’t available until May. Still, Murphy knows there’s work to be done, especially as they look to rise in the standings.

While the team has only conceded one goal in 390 minutes—which came in extra time against Hartford while down a man—there’s always room for improvement. One area being looked at is defensive work on crosses and set pieces.

“We're not the biggest group around,” Murphy said. “The goal against Hartford, we just got dunked on. We've got to be more physical in the run-up to those moments. We can't let people have a free run. You've got to disrupt and put people off. I think that's something that we're definitely looking at.”

Regarding set pieces, Murphy believes that Hearts players need to be more aware of committing fouls in dangerous spots, saying, “Part of that is having a little bit more discipline and being content to just defend for a minute and force them backward.”

Murphy added, “We’ve given up one goal in four games, so we must be doing something right.”

Offensively, they’ve scored five goals, four against amateur side CD Faialense and one during extra time against Hartford. The hope is that these numbers increase in the coming weeks.

“We've got to continue to be direct in the right moments, to play forward, to be brave,” Murphy said. “At times, people get behind the ball quickly, and we get caught playing in front of people where we'd like to play behind people.”

Murphy believes that Wada will be an asset here, calling him a “true 10 that can unlock things for us.”

“We've got good athletes and guys who can move off the ball, and he gives us a guy who can sort of connect all the pieces for us,” Murphy said.

Nathaniel “Natty” James, who arrived in Portland this week, is another player who should help offensively. The 20-year-old won the Golden Boot in the Trinidad and Tobago Premier Football League in 2023, scoring 15 goals. He’s also already played and scored for the national team.

“He's one of the bright talents of the Caribbean,” Murphy said. “He’s one we're really excited about. He’s left-footed, direct, can run at people. He can play anywhere along the front line.”

The final player that Hearts is waiting for is Jay Tee Kamara, a midfielder from Sierra Leone who is still waiting for his appointment.

“Jay Tee is another lefty and we don't have too many of them,” Murphy said. “He's another one that gives us something different. He can take people on off the dribble.”

He added, “We'll just have to see how [James and Kamara] fit in when they get here. But we're excited about those two, for sure. They’re something different that we don't have.”

Murphy doesn’t anticipate any more additions at this point, though plans can obviously change. He and his coaching staff are excited to work with the players currently on the roster.

Messer, for example, has already stood out.

“He’s looked like he's played left back his whole life, which isn't the case,” Murphy said. “He's been fantastic, and a good pro, on and off the field.”

Murphy also highlighted Liadi, who joined Hearts in mid-March on a season-long loan from Lexington Sporting Club.

“Azaad deserves a lot of credit for the way he's come in and taken to the group, and the group has taken to him,” Murphy said. “I thought he was selfless in his effort on Saturday night, up there alone and dogged in his approach. I thought he was great.”

While Messer and Liadi initially came to mind, Murphy said that “each player has had their moment where they’ve stood out and shined.”

He added, “As much as we’ve singled out one or two, I think in two weeks we could probably single out two more that have stepped into some situations and done well.”

While Hearts have a lot to celebrate, they also have much left to do. On Saturday, they travel to face South Georgia Tormenta FC (7:30 p.m. on ESPN+) before returning to Lewiston to host Rhode Island FC on Tuesday.

On April 26, they head to Connecticut to face Hartford Athletic for the Jägermeister Cup. Then, all eyes turn to May 4th, when Hearts play their first-ever home game at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

To get through this, and the rest of the season, Murphy will need the same type of commitment he’s seen during the first four games of the season.