Weekly Roundup: Hearts of Pine Land Three Players, BOS Nation Secures White Stadium Lease
As roster construction continues for Hearts, BOS Nation fights a legal battle over White Stadium demolition.
In a slow news week for the New England Revolution, Portland Hearts took the lead, adding three players to its inaugural roster.
Portland Hearts of Pine
After announcing its first-ever signing in Michel Poon-Angeron last week, HOP inked midfielders Ollie Wright and Mikey Lopez along with defender Jaden Jones-Riley.
A Fulham Academy product and London, England native, Wright is an attacking midfielder who most recently played for Huntsville City FC of MLS Next Pro. The 25-year-old is the all-time leader in appearances and assists at Huntsville.
Wright got his start in the United States at St. Mary’s University, where he was named the Lone Star Conference Player of the Year in 2019. While in college, he played for USL League Two side Corpus Christi FC and set the league record for assists with 15 in just 14 appearances. He made his professional debut in 2021 for San Antonio FC of the USL Championship.
Mikey López
López is a veteran midfielder who brings MLS experience to Portland. The 31-year-old was drafted in the first round of the 2013 MLS SuperDraft after two seasons at the University of North Carolina. He made 41 MLS appearances between 2013 and 2017 with Sporting Kansas City and New York City FC.
Lòpez is no stranger to expansion clubs. After a brief stint with San Antonio FC in 2018, he joined Birmingham Legion in 2019 as its second-ever signing and first-ever captain. López spent five seasons in Alabama before his move to Hearts of Pine was announced Friday. This will be his first season in USL League One.
Jaden Jones-Riley
After adding three midfielders to start the roster construction process, Jones-Riley becomes the first member of the Hearts SC back line. The 23-year-old fullback treks from one Portland to another, having spent last season with Portland Timbers 2.
Jones-Riley played his college ball at the University of Dayton before the Portland Timbers selected him in the third round of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. The defender scored two goals and added three assists in 46 appearances over two seasons for Timbers 2.
BOS Nation FC
The NWSL expansion franchise has a home stadium. BOS Nation signed a 10-year lease agreement with the city of Boston Monday for the use of White Stadium. The club is set to pay $200,000 in its first season - an adjusted number for how many months the field will be operational - before shelling out $400,000 the following year. The city is also set to receive a portion of revenue from advertisements.
The city of Boston is set to pay upwards of $91 million for stadium upgrades, with the club covering the remainder of a $200 million budget. The news comes amid lawsuits that have delayed the demolition of large portions of the current White Stadium.