PORTLAND, Maine — On a beautiful August evening at Fitzpatrick Stadium, Portland Hearts of Pine battled back from an early deficit to earn a 1-1 draw against CT United in a friendly matchup on Wednesday night.
Despite the match not counting toward the regular season standings, the energy surrounding the night was anything but casual. A crowd of 6,403 supporters made this the 31st consecutive sell out for Portland.
Portland came out with intensity, pressing for every loose ball and looking to dictate the pace early. However, CT United struck first in the sixth minute after a quick attacking sequence allowed a CT forward to break into the box and fire a shot that narrowly slipped past Hearts goalkeeper Kash Oladapo, hitting the post before finding the back of the net.
The Hearts continued to push forward after conceding, patiently working the ball around the field and searching for openings against a compact CT defense. Portland created several promising chances throughout the first half, including a dangerous cross from Tyler Huck in the 20th minute that nearly found a teammate in front of goal.
In the 25th minute, a quick throw-in from the Hearts helped create another opportunity as Portland moved the ball forward quickly and forced a save from the CT goalkeeper. The pressure continued late into the half, with one of the best chances coming in the 38th minute when a well-worked one-two passing sequence near the top of the box created a clear shooting opportunity. The shot narrowly missed wide, drawing a collective reaction from the crowd as fans thought they had witnessed the equalizer.
Portland entered the second half with renewed energy, bringing in fresh legs and continuing to push for the tying goal. The friendly matchup also provided valuable minutes for several trialists looking to earn an opportunity with the Hearts, giving the coaching staff a chance to evaluate players in a competitive match environment.
As the second half progressed, Portland continued to build pressure and create more scoring opportunities. Multiple crosses into the box and dangerous attacking sequences brought the Hearts closer to leveling the score, while the defense held strong on the other end.
In the 70th minute, CT nearly doubled its lead after a perfectly placed corner kick found a CT attacker near the bottom corner of the net, but Oladapo came up with a diving save to keep the Hearts within striking distance. Moments later, CT nearly found another goal after a fast break resulted in a shot that bounced off the post, but Oladapo was there once again to keep the deficit at one.
The persistence finally paid off in the 76th minute.
After patiently moving the ball around the field, Portland created space and found an opening through Ollie Wright. After a combination play involving Jay Tee Kamara, Wright ripped a shot toward goal that forced a difficult save from the CT goalkeeper. The rebound fell perfectly into the path of Huck, who was in the right place at the right time to bury the chance and bring the match level at 1-1.
The goal marked another strong moment for Huck, who continued to make the most of his opportunities and provide an attacking spark for Portland.
“We’re comfortable having to chase the game,” defender Esteban Espinosa said after the match. “We have a good enough group to compete with anybody in the league. When we’re down, we know we’ve got to stick to the plan and just keep working.”
“I thought Tyler was fantastic,” Hearts head coach Bobby Murphy said after the match. “You just see what a willingness to run will get you. He’s not the most gifted, he’s not the most athletic, but he’s just willing to compete.”
The Hearts continued searching for a winner in the closing minutes. Kamara created multiple dangerous moments, including a strong individual effort in the 78th minute where he worked around defenders before creating another chance for Portland. Later, Kamara and Wright connected again, with Wright forcing another save from the CT goalkeeper.
After two minutes of stoppage time, CT earned one final corner kick opportunity, but Oladapo calmly collected the attempt to secure the 1-1 draw.
The friendly gave Portland valuable minutes ahead of the final stretch of the season, allowing players fighting for opportunities to showcase themselves while continuing to build chemistry across the squad.
“I think what we’ve found out over the last couple weeks is who’s up for the fight, because that’s what it is,” Coach Murphy said. “It’s a fight to the end, and you’ve got to pick up points every game and put on a little bit of a run.”
The Hearts will return to Fitzpatrick Stadium this weekend returning to league play Saturday as they look to even the score with Corpus Christ in their second meeting this season.