Hearts Denied Road Win in Injury Time against Union Omaha
Published on May 9, 2026 under United Soccer League One (USL1)
Portland Hearts of Pine News Release
OMAHA, Neb. - Portland Hearts of Pine bounced back from a midweek defeat with a hard-earned point on the road against Union Omaha. A stoppage-time goal from Samuel Kwaku Owusu denied the Hearts all three points in Nebraska.
Portland bookended a composed first-half performance with a pair of excellent goals from their strike partnership. Tyler Huck opened his professional account in style, controlling the ball with his thigh before smashing a strike from distance into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper no chance.
Union Omaha saw plenty of the ball in the opening half, but the Hearts stood strong defensively, with Hunter Morse alert to deal with a pair of early efforts.
Titus Washington doubled the lead just before the break, finding the side netting with a composed finish to give Portland a 2-0 advantage at halftime. It was Washington's first goal of the season and capped one of the Hearts' strongest halves of the campaign.
Omaha came out of the break with renewed urgency, pinning Portland deep and controlling long stretches of possession. Dylan Borczak rattled the crossbar in the 58th minute after creating space at the top of the box, a warning sign of what was to come.
The breakthrough arrived shortly after the hour mark, when Kempes Waldemar Tekiela drove a low effort under Morse from close range to pull one back. Morse responded with a strong stop moments later, denying a second as Omaha pushed for an immediate equalizer.
Portland continued to defend with resilience as the pressure mounted, with Kemali Green and Brecc Evans combining for multiple key interventions to keep the Hearts in front. Captain Mikey Lopez helped steady the group through a series of defensive phases, winning duels and relieving pressure in key moments.
As the match wore on, Portland looked to manage the final stages, with Walter Varela making his first appearance of 2026 and adding energy down the right side.
The Hearts' resistance held deep into stoppage time before finally breaking. With Omaha committing numbers forward, Owusu arrived in the center of the box and redirected a ball across goal and into the net to level the match at 2-2. Morse stretched across but was unable to keep it out.
The equalizer brought the sides level for the first time since the opening minutes, and with little time remaining, Portland had to settle for a point on the road.
Next Up: The Hearts return to USL Cup play with a home matchup against Rhode Island FC at Fitzpatrick Stadium.
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