Maine’s Pro Soccer Team Named Portland Hearts of Pine

The USL League One team announced their name and logo on Saturday.

USL to Portland is now Portland Hearts of Pine, and its supporters are ecstatic about it.

The USL League One side, set to begin play in 2025, revealed their name, logo, and branding on Saturday. The event held at Brick South drew a crowd of over 1,000 people.

Donald Thibodeau, the co-chair of the supporters group Dirigo Union, was overjoyed by the occasion.

“It’s amazing,” Thibodeau said. “I almost got choked up. We got to do a private reveal on Thursday. It was amazing. And now the sea of people today. You couldn’t move.”

Thibodeau played soccer his entire life, including his time in the Air Force.

There was a period when he fell out of love with the game, but a trip to see the Portland Timbers reignited his passion.

He then became a New England Revolution supporter, regularly making the two-hour trek to Gillette Stadium.

He loves the Revs—and yes, he did attend the Inter Miami game—but having a professional soccer team in Portland will be special for him.

“To have something that’s ours means a lot,” Thibodeau said. “We’ve always had the Seadogs and the Maine Celtics, but they’re all tied to Boston. I’m tired of being tied to Boston.

“I want a Maine team where we’re proud to be Mainers and have our soccer.”

With a name and a crest in place, Thibodeau and other members of the Dirigo Union are dreaming of spirited nights in Fitzpatrick Stadium.

“We want to have a party the whole time,” Thibodeau said “We want to give the players energy. We want opponents to hate coming here.”

Thibodeau explained that he loves being part of a supporters group because he gets to meet great people, grow the sport he loves, and do good for his community.

He encourages others to join the Dirigo Union before Portland’s inaugural season.

“This is our chance to do something really special that’s pure Maine, pure Portland,” Thibodeau said. “We want people to come to the games, meet some cool people, get the vibes going, and pump up the players.

“I really hope I see everyone in the stadium.”

You can learn more about the Dirigo Union on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or their website.