Jay Tee Kamara's "McDreamy" Debut Helps Hearts Secure 2-1 Win
Walter Varela and newly arrived JayTee Kamara score goals in a 2-1 WIN at “Fitzy".
Patrick Dempsey was on hand at Fitzpatrick Stadium, assisted with the coin flip and led the Dirigo Union and the rest of the 5,800-plus Hearts Supporters in the Heartbeat chant before taking a seat pitch-side to take in the action.
A rendition of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” was played over the speakers and sung along by the Heart’s faithful just before the Heartbeat chant. Perhaps a new pre-match ritual has started on a winning night in Fitzpatrick Stadium.
There were three changes to the starting lineup that played against Union Omaha.
Ollie Wright in for Evan Southern
Mickey Reilly was rewarded for a great week of practice and started in favor of Patrick Langlois.
Titus Washington in for Azaad Liadi who had to subbed off in the last match in what appeared to be some cramping.
FC Naples started the match with both GK Lalo Delgado and CB Jake Dengler serving red card suspensions from their Wednesday afternoon quagmire of a match against the Chattanooga Red Wolves. Puerto Rico national team starter Joel Serrano would get his first start of the year, and Gustavo Fernandes would start in place of Jake Dengler. In lieu of getting a backup keeper over the three days between matches, Naples opted to suit up their goalkeeper coach Tony Halterman as Serrano’s backup. Halterman played last year for Chicago House AC in the Midwest Premier League.
With the Heartbeat chant thundering throughout the grounds, the Hearts and FC Naples kicked off for a second time this USL League One season on a foggy and dreary night at Fitzpatrick Stadium.
In the seventh minute, Serrano punched away a ball from a corner kick inside his six-yard box. In doing so he clattered into Samuel Malamäki Camacho’s head with his arm. Referee Lauren Aldrich deemed the contact with Malamäki Camacho as dangerous conduct and brandished a red card to the 26-year-old Puerto Rican starter.
Ian Cerro FC Naples’ right winger, would be sacrificed to make way for 34-year-old FC Naples goalkeeping coach Tony Halterman. FC Naples would now have to play almost an entire match on the road with ten men.
In the 26th minute captain Mikey Lopez pulled up on an apparent left knee concern and was subbed off for the long-awaited Jay Tee Kamara. Lopez would hand off the captain’s arm band to Sean Vinberg and Head Coach Bobby Murphy moved Mickey Riley over to right back and Walter Varela would move into the midfield to make room for Jay Tee Kamera on the right wing.
Kamera was on the field for only a few minutes when he made an aerial pinpoint pass to Wright on the left side of the pitch to switch the attack. FC Naples was forced to foul Wright resulting in a Hearts free kick from a dangerous position. The free kick would not result in a goal, but Kamara showcased early on some of the skills he offers to the Hearts attack.
In the 43rd minute, Varela received the ball from Wright and attacked the left channel running to the end line. Varela took a shot on the near post and Halterman got a hand on it, deflecting it out to the right side of the pitch. Kamara would pick up the ball on the corner of the six-yard box and run down the top of the box against the grain of the retreating defenders, rendering them inefficient for his left-footed strike that splashed the back of the net over a diving Halterman.
The first half would end with more attacks on goal, and FC Naples was happy to see the end of the first half. FC Naples would go into the locker room one goal down, one man down, and yellow cards issued to Christopher Heckenberg, Karsen Henderlong, and Gustavo Fernandes. Sean Vinberg was also yellow-carded in the first half for the Hearts.
The Hearts would make one change at halftime with Malamäki Camacho coming off for Patrick Langlois.
FC Naples came out of the locker room attacking the Hearts. In the 50th minute, Luka Prpa almost gets one by Morse on the near post. In the 52’ bad marking almost cost the Hearts again. Then in the 56’ Prpa scored with a strike from 12 yards out that trickled across the line after Morse got a piece of it with his legs bringing the scoreline to 1-1.
In the 67’ Coach Bobby Murphy would go to the bench.
M. Reilly off, C. Quiñones on
O. Wright off, A. Liadi on
With two strikers on the field in Liadi and Washington, the Hearts were geared up for another run at the second goal.
In the 75th minute, Masashi Wada stood over a set piece some 30 yards out in the left channel. Wada chose a simple pass to Messer further down the left side of the pitch and Messer attempted to cross it into the box and FC Naples left winger Andrés Ferrin gets a piece of it. An attempted clearance by Karsen Henderlong found Varela at the top of the 18-yard box and he would work his magic.
Varela got Naples goal scorer heading to his right and then the Hearts forward stuck his left foot in the ground, controlling the ball with the outside of his right foot to create separation from Prpa. He then caresses the outside of the ball past a turned around Prpa towards goal and Halterman sprawled out and gets a slight touch on the slightly bending shot, but it deflects into the inside of the side netting.
After the goal the Hearts defended more pressure from Naples back in their half of the pitch. In the 77th minute, a sliding Karsen Henderlong cleated Hunter Morse on the left forearm, attempting to get a touch on the ball. Henderlong saw his second yellow for his efforts, resulting in a red card and FC Naples were now down to nine men for the remainder of the match.
The win is Hearts of Pine’s first league win, and their first at Fitzpatrick Stadium. The Hearts players celebrated with their fans, signed autographs, and relished in their first three points of the season against an unraveling FC Naples side that is second in the table.
FC Naples has now seen four red cards in their last two matches, 32 yellow cards in their 9 matches played in the USL League One season, and it appears that goalkeeper coach Tony Halterman may be needed in a backup role for one more match.
Jay Tee Kamera was voted the Dirigo Union man of the match and was awarded his wooden lobster pot buoy by Dirigo Union members Josh and Dana Ricker. The Dirigo Union man of the match is sponsored by Maine Wooden Buoys of Friendship, Maine.
Hearts of Pine will be away at Forward Madison FC on Saturday, May 24 at 7 PM on ESPN+.