Hearts of Pine Defeat New York Cosmos, 3-1, at Fitzpatrick Stadium
USL1 Portland Hearts of Pine

Hearts of Pine Defeat New York Cosmos, 3-1, at Fitzpatrick Stadium

Published on May 2, 2026 under United Soccer League One (USL1)
Portland Hearts of Pine News Release


PORTLAND, Maine - Portland Hearts of Pine earned a 3-1 victory over the New York Cosmos on Saturday night at Fitzpatrick Stadium, securing their first win since the season opener.

There was a different energy at Fitzpatrick Stadium before kickoff.

With 6,162 Hearts of Pine fans packed in and already loud, the moment that pushed it over the edge came before the match even started. Masashi Wada made his return following his season-ending injury, walking out in a boot and acknowledging the crowd.

"It inspires you- if he can go through that and show up, we need to match that on the field," said captain Mikey Lopez. "We're lucky enough to play, so we have to give everything."

The opening minutes were chaotic, with both sides trading long balls and trying to settle in. It was back and forth early, but Portland looked sharp, building down both wings and playing with intent.

Around the eighth minute, that intent turned into a real chance. A strong sequence down the right side led to a clean look on goal that forced a save and set the tone.

Just minutes later, the breakthrough came.

In the 10th minute, Brecc Evans played a line-breaking ball into Jay Tee Kamara, who finished to give Portland a 1-0 advantage and ignite the crowd.

They didn't slow down.

Eight minutes later, sustained pressure led to a second goal. After regaining possession in midfield, Mikey Lopez initiated a quick transition that ended with Ollie Wright finishing calmly to make it 2-0.

"That's kind of who we are- chaotic, putting pressure on teams," said Lopez. "That was the first time we really showed it- scoring goals and putting heat on them."

From there, Hearts controlled the half, creating multiple opportunities. Kamara continued to find space and test the back line, while the midfield kept things flowing and connected.

Defensively, the group held strong when needed. A key moment came midway through the half when the Cosmos created a dangerous chance inside the box, but a Hearts defender stepped in to shut it down.

Even when possession shifted, Hearts stayed composed, winning balls back, resetting, and building again. By halftime, it felt like a complete and controlled performance.

"We need people who want to grind. We need people we can trust, and people who trust what we're doing, and I think we saw that," said head coach Bobby Murphy. "We talked before the game about being calm and knowing that whatever pops up, you know how to solve it."

Hearts came out aggressive again in the second half, continuing to apply pressure.

In the 48th minute, they struck again.

A long ball forward found Wright in stride, and a quick move inside the box created just enough space to finish into the top corner for his second goal of the night, making it 3-0.

"It's definitely felt like there's been some pressure on our shoulders," said Wright. "But if you look at where we are now compared to this point last season, we're in a better spot. We know once we get scoring and start winning games, we can be a real force. Hopefully tonight kickstarts our season and we can really push on from here."

At that point, everything felt connected. Hearts were communicating well, switching fields, and creating chances from multiple areas while feeding off the energy from the crowd.

"We knew that we needed to come out strong and fighting because we knew that people here deserve a win, and they deserve a good performance from the team," said Lopez.

As the half went on, the match opened up. After a strong 70-plus minutes, Hearts began to stretch slightly, and the game became more transitional. Cosmos pushed numbers forward and created a few chances that tested the back line and goalkeeper.

In the 83rd minute, they capitalized on a rebound inside the box to make it 3-1.

Despite that, Hearts stayed composed, continued to win key possessions, and managed the final minutes effectively to close out the win.

"Today felt like a full performance- about 80 minutes of who we are," Lopez said. "There was more cohesion, more buy-in, more togetherness. We enjoy it tonight, then tomorrow it's all focus on Fort Wayne."

Next Up: Hearts of Pine take on Fort Wayne on Wednesday, May 6.

Check out the Portland Hearts of Pine Statistics

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United Soccer League One Stories from May 2, 2026


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