Portland Hearts of Pine Are The Hottest Team In USL League One
Hearts have collected 14 of 18 points in their last
Portland Hearts of Pine have collected 14 of 18 points, making them the hottest team in USL League One.
Hearts’ recent run of form is primarily tied to their offensive production, as they’ve scored 16 goals in their last six games, one more than Union Omaha and two more than South Georgia Tormenta.
Heart’s 2.33 points per game during this stretch outpace Omaha (2.17) and South Georgia (2.17).
Wednesday’s 5-2 win over the Richmond Kickers was powered by Masashi Wada’s hat-trick, with Walter Varela and Ollie Wright also collecting goals.
The varied attack is what makes Hearts so dangerous. Wada (7 goals), Wright (6 goals), Jay Tee Kamara (4 goals), and Titus Washington (4 goals) can all strike at a moment’s notice, especially since the team loves to play in transition.
Perhaps a sign that the first-year team needed time to gel, Hearts had 17 goals in their first 14 games. To nearly match that in their last six outings is a positive sign for the final stretch.
That said, Hearts only have four shutouts this year, with Tormenta (2) and Westchester (0) being the only teams with fewer.
This isn’t necessarily a knock on the defense, as goalkeeper Hunter Morris has been solid and several players have stepped up to make big plays. For example, Sean Vinberg had a critical goal-line clearance in the 70th minute.
With only one loss in their last 11 games and a +8 goal differential on the season, Hearts are on the rise.
They are currently fifth on the table with eight games to play.
I'm a Rev's fan from the Boston area but my wife and I drove up to Portland and to a Hearts game a few weeks ago. What an amazing time. What an organization! I happily paid the $100 to get in and happily bought one of the best looking jerseys in sports. The Hearts and their supporters are amazing!
Yeah HEARTS!! That goal-line header from Vinberg was mammoth! What a game. Keep it rolling boys!