Portland Hearts of Pine have reloaded their attack ahead of the 2026 season.

Titus Washington was a breakout star for Hearts in 2025, collecting five goals and three assists en route to being named as the club’s Co-Rookie of the Year.

The Seattle University product grew throughout the season, finding new ways to challenge opposing defenders. Head coach Bobby Murphy, who said they’re “really high on Titus,” is excited to see what he does during his sophomore campaign.

“I think Titus' big thing is going to be continuing to develop his movement in the box,” Murphy said. “I think if you look at the really good ones, they just sort of anticipate and go, and if the ball gets there, then they're there for the tap-in. If the ball goes somewhere else, well, that's okay. 

“I think Titus is sometimes more reactionary, hoping to get on the end of something instead of just saying, ‘Well, I'm just going to go and hope it hits the spot.’”

The coaching staff showed Washington footage of Gary Lineker as an example. The legendary English striker scored 286 competitive goals for club and country.

“[Lineker] would make the same run nine times, and the 10th time, the ball went there,” Murphy said. “It's just having the conviction of that movement in the box.”

Murphy previously said that Washington grew “leaps and bounds” during his first foray as a professional. He got better as a target and learned to disrupt backlines with his runs. He also matured as a leader.

Already a big personality, Washington is someone who “likes to laugh” and “likes to work hard.” Now, he’s becoming more comfortable with communication.

“I think his overall ownership of that whole spot has grown,” Murphy said. “He's telling people where he wants it. I think sometimes when you're a forward, you can be almost like a bottle with a cork in it, and you can sort of bounce around up there, floating around on the ocean instead of taking charge. I think he’s really grown in that sense.”

Murphy believes that Washington can double his goal production, saying, “We would hope for ten this year.”

Hearts are also expecting goals from Emiliano Terzaghi, who was named the USL League One Most Valuable Player for three consecutive seasons (2020-2022). The 33-year-old is the league's all-time lead scorer, and there’s a belief that he can add to his account, even if he’s only had seven goals in the last two seasons.

“I think he was asked to do a lot the last couple of years in Richmond,” Murphy said. “I think if he can buy in – and we have had long talks about it, about not being the guy anymore, just being one of the guys, let the people around you help you do what you do best – that he's probably got ten, 12 goals in him.”

Terzaghi is excited about playing for Portland, having done plenty of research about the club. Murphy recalled the striker telling him that Masashi Wada “can get him four or five goals just by slipping him in with his vision and movement.”

Terzaghi will also be an asset to Washington’s development.

“I think one thing [Terzaghi] gives us that maybe Titus doesn't is that Titus sort of struggles alone up there in the pressing, in a 4-2-3-1; Titus is better with a two,” Murphy said. “I think Emi’s experience will allow us to press in a 4-2-3-1, because he can cut off the field. It's not just the in-the-box stuff; it's the against-the-ball stuff that Titus will learn from him.”

Hearts will also get attacking contributions from Ollie Wright, Jay Tee Kamara, and Walter Varela. 

Lagos Kunga, who is coming off an ACL injury, will be a new threat after scoring ten goals in all competitions and leading the league in successful dribbles during Union Omaha’s championship-winning 2024 season.

Murphy said that Hearts wanted Kunga last year, but the former U.S. youth international chose to stay in Omaha to be close to family in Phoenix. He suffered a preseason injury that kept him off the field in 2025. 

Hearts closely monitored his rehab and ultimately decided to sign him. Last week was Kunga’s first back in full contact, though they’re still easing him in.

“He's sort of Jay Tee, only bigger,” Murphy said. “I don't know that either of them is a 90-minute player, but to have a combination of those two for 90 minutes down the right-hand side, getting after people can terrorize some people.

“Lagos has won the league, he's a double-digit goal scorer, so if we can get him back to what he was before the injury, which we're confident we can, we think we got a really good player, a really good value.”

While Hearts started the 2025 season slowly, facing a congested schedule while the roster was still coming together, they finished third in goals scored with 48. They’re aiming to maintain their status at the top of the league in 2026.