Hearts of Pine's Passion On Full Display As They Advance In The U.S. Open Cup
Murphy: "We hope we reflect the people in this community. We hope they look on the field and say, ‘That’s how I’d play if I got the chance.’”
Portland Hearts of Pine fought until the last minute—even when down a man and goal—to advance to the third round of the U.S. Open Cup.
This incredible feat isn’t surprising since determination is part of the club’s culture.
After defeating amateur club CD Faialense in the first round, Hearts welcomed Hartford Athletic of the USL Championship on Wednesday night.
The two teams were scoreless through 90 minutes, though there were chances from both sides.
In the 96th minute, Azaad Liadi was ejected after receiving a second yellow card. His first came moments earlier.
Hartford got the board in the 107th minute when captain Jordan Scarlett finished a corner kick.
“When the red card comes, you just try to bunker in,” head coach Bobby Murphy said. “Little disappointed to give one up on a set piece. We’re not the biggest team, but we’ve got to be a little stronger in those moments.”
With Hearts coming off a Saturday trip to Naples and set to leave for Spokane on Thursday, Murphy continued to make substitutions.
Ultimately, it was Evan Southern, who came on for Walter Varela, who found Jake Keegan, in for Sean Vinberg, on a fast break. Keegan’s audacious shot found the back of the net to force penalties.
“When I turned and I saw him making that run, I knew if he got on the end of it, it was going in the back of the net,” Southern said. “I trust him 100% of the time with the ball at his feet to put the ball in the back of the net. And what a finish - what an unbelievable finish.”
Heading to spot kicks, Murphy had a message for his team.
“I told them, ‘Listen, you’ve already won,’” Murphy said. “You’ve done everything that anybody could ever ask of you. Just go be brave and be confident and go score.”
After both teams converted their first two attempts, Hunter Morse pushed aside Hartford’s third bid. Nathan Messer put Hearts ahead, and then Michee Ngalina missed the target. Southern stepped up to secure advancement.
“I’m so proud that they kept going,” Murphy said. “I thought for long stretches we were on top of the game. We created more chances and were probably unlucky not to score once or twice.”
With their commitment to community and stylish merchandise, Hearts already caught the soccer world's attention before kicking a ball.
With two Open Cup wins and one scoreless road draw in League One, people are starting to learn Hearts’ on-field style.
“When I took this job we had discussions about what it was going to look like, we wanted to reflect the community we play in,” Murphy said. “Maine is notorious for hard-working people who value what they have.
“A big part of the recruitment process was finding people with that sort of character who bought into the larger project. We hope we reflect the people in this community. We hope they look on the field and say, ‘That’s how I’d play if I got the chance.’”
While Hearts will undoubtedly celebrate the comeback victory against an opponent in a higher division, they must shift their attention to league play as they face Spokane Velocity on Saturday at 9 pm.
Murphy confirmed that there will be some rotation this weekend. Regardless of who is in the starting lineup, you can expect Hearts to give it their all.
“[Murphy]’s put us in a spot where we fight for 90 minutes,” Southern said. “At the end, if we’ve given everything we’ve got, we should be on the front foot.”