Portland Hearts of Pine have signed another player with U.S. Youth National Team experience.
After signing Mikey Lopez who featured for the U.S. U-20 squad, the club has signed forward Lagos Kunga who also featured for the U-20's and scored one goal at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Kunga joins Hearts after leaving Union Omaha in USL League One, where he scored 10 goals in all competitions. He was apart of Omaha's 2024 USL League One championship squad.
The forward missed the 2025 season due to an ACL injury.
“He’s an exciting, proven, USL League One talent,” Hearts head coach Bobby Murphy said in a statement. “We expect him to make a full recovery, and we’re excited to get him integrated as soon as possible.”
Kunga grew up playing in the academy system for Major League Soccer's Atlanta United. He played on loan with Atlanta's then-affiliate Charleston Battery in 2017.
The forward spent 2018 with Atlanta United 2, scoring five goals. He also spent time with Memphis 901 FC and Phoenix Rising FC, winning the 2020 USL Championship Western Conference Final with the latter.
He then moved to Kristiansund BK in Norway in 2021 before returning to the United State in 2023. Kunga helped USL League Two side Des Moines Menace reach the USL League Two Central Conference Final.
“I’m beyond excited to join this team and play in front of such a passionate community,’ Kunga said in a statement. “When [Bobby] called me, he told me they believed in me, they’d be patient, and they were reaching out for a reason. That meant a lot to me.”
