Hearts Battle to a Draw against AV Alta FC on the Road

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USL1 Portland Hearts of Pine

Hearts Battle to a Draw against AV Alta FC on the Road

June 22, 2025 - United Soccer League One (USL1)
Portland Hearts of Pine News Release


Portland Hearts of Pine (2-2-6) battled on the road against AV Alta FC (4-3-4) and fell behind early, but a late finish by Azaad Liadi saw the teams finish tied 1-1 at Lancaster Municipal Stadium on Saturday night.

The match started in a deadlock; possession in the first half tilted slightly in favor of Antelope Valley at 57% to 43%, but neither side could break through. Strong midfield duels and consistent clearances kept both teams fighting for a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

When many of those opportunities came for Portland, the right post was Alta's best friend. In the 20th minute, Ollie Wright sent a curving shot around AV goalkeeper Carlos Avilez, but it deflected off the right post. In the 29th minute, Nathan Messer fought through several defenders in the box and took a low drive that clipped the post.

In the 39th minute, the stalemate ended as AV Alta FC midfielder Eduardo Blanca took a powerful shot from inside the box, which was deflected by Hunter Morse. But the save wasn't enough to keep Hearts safe. AV striker Emmanuel Alaribe was there to pick up the rebound and find the back of the net, putting the club up 1-0 with an early lead at home.

The second half opened much like the first, with neither side able to take clear control. However, Hearts emerged stronger, and possession inched closer to even, sitting at 53% to 47%. Portland delivered a steady stream of balls into dangerous areas, but Antelope Valley's back line stayed strong and cleared attempts effectively.

Portland finally saw a breakthrough in the 77th minute. A bending ball sent in from Nathan Messer was rattled across players through the box until it was controlled by Ollie Wright on the near post. Wright lasered it across the top of the six-yard-box, where Azaad Liadi found himself in the perfect position to meet the ball and drive it home for a spectacular top-right-corner finish to equalize for Hearts.

The pressure was on to secure three points before the final whistle. Throughout the eight minutes of tense stoppage time, both goalkeepers kept their squads in the game. Morse and Avilez continued to make critical saves, and despite multiple close calls, the teams could not find the back of the net again.

Up next: Portland Hearts of Pine remain on the road next week at Centreville Bank Stadium, facing off against Rhode Island FC in the group stage of the USL Jägermeister Cup. Hearts will play the USL Championship team at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 27, with the match airing live on NESN and ESPN+.

GOALS

POR - Liadi 77' (Wright)

AV - Alaribe 39'

DISCIPLINE

YC - Sean Vinberg (POR 21'), Kaloyan Pehlivanov (AV 27'), Jimmie Villalobos (AV 32'), Ollie Wright (POR 45' +3), Miguel Pajaro (AV 58'), Masashi Wada (POR 75'), Emmanuel Alaribe (AV 88'), Azaad Liadi (POR 89')

RC - NONE

LINEUPS

PORTLAND HEARTS OF PINE - Hunter Morse, Nathan Messer (Mo Mohamed 90' +8), Sean Vinberg, Kemali Green, Colby Quiñones (Titus Washington 66'), Mikey Lopez ©, Michel Poon-Angeron, Masashi Wada, Jay Tee Kamara (Walter Varela 66'), Ollie Wright (Jake Keegan 90' +8), Azaad Liadi (Mickey Reilly 90' +4)

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES - Shandon Wright, Kash Oladapo

AV ALTA FC - Carlos Avilez, Steven Ramos (Elijah Martin 85'), Miguel Pajaro, Kaloyan Pehlivanov, Sebastian Cruz, Eduardo Blancas, Jimmie Villalobos (Maboumou Alassane 66'), Osvaldo Lay (Adam Aoumaich 84'), Javier Mariona (Christian Ortiz 84'), Jerry Desdunes, Alexis Cerritos (Emmanuel Alaribe 18')

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES - Luca Mastrantonio, Erick Ceja Gonzalez, Djibril Doumbia, Aaron Huerta

Check out the Portland Hearts of Pine Statistics



United Soccer League One Stories from June 22, 2025


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