Portland Hearts of Pine have signed 23-year-old fullback Eiji Hata from Houston Dynamo 2.
“We are really excited to sign Eiji,” said head coach and sporting director Bobby Murphy. “He is a player we were tracking during the off-season, and we think he’ll be a great fit here. His connection to Titus, Mo, Diego, and Sashi should make his transition smoother, and we can’t wait to get him in front of our fans at Fitzpatrick.”
Hata, a product of Yokohama F Marinos and Maebashi Ikuei, began his collegiate career at Phoenix College. He earned NJCAA First Team All-American honors while recording four goals and 10 assists in 38 appearances.
He transferred to Seattle University for his junior and senior years, playing alongside Mo Mohamed and Titus Washington.
Here, he had five assists in 33 appearances while helping the Redhawks compile a 12-4-4 record in 2024, win the 2024 Western Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Tournament title, and earn a trip to the 2024 NCAA Men’s Division I Soccer Championship.
In March 2026, Hata signed with Houston Dynamo 2 of MLS NEXT Pro. He made 11 appearances (4 starts) for the third-placed team prior to being traded to Hearts.
