This week on The Friggin' Soccer Show, we break down Hearts of Pine's 2-1 friendly loss to Sarasota Paradise at Fitzpatrick Stadium. We discuss Ollie Wright's equalizer, courtesy of a beautiful ball from Tyler Huck, and what we liked from several players who don't usually get big minutes. Hopefully we can turn around the aggregate scoreline in our trip to Sarasota this week for the return friendly. Up the friggin' Hearts! "Big Screen Moment of the Match" – Presented by the Gem Theater, an independent theater at 48 Cross Street in Bethel, Maine, showing Hearts away matches on the biggest screen in western Maine. "Pint of Positivity" – Presented by The June Cork Pub 66 Third Street, Dover, NH https://thejunecorkpub.com Cover image by Chris Linscott. Subscribe for Hearts of Pine coverage, match reactions, interviews, and everything happening around Maine soccer. #HeartsOfPine #USL1 #MaineSoccer #TheFrigginSoccerShow

Hearts Drop Points at home against league leaders Omaha This week on The Friggin' Soccer Show, we break down Hearts of Pine's 2-1 loss to Union Omaha. There was some good play on display despite the result. We talk about Diego Gonzalez staying hot with another goal, Hunter Morse keeping Hearts in the match (with his face), Barbosa's ref bump, and the Heart's second half improvements. We also discuss (and enjoy) the new From the Forest to the Tide beer from Belleflower Brewing, created in partnership with the Dirigo Union. And we vent our frustration regarding the difficulty to watch the Hearts previous away match in Boise. USL1 needs to get these broadcast issues ironed out! Up the friggin' Hearts! “Big Screen Moment of the Match” - presented by the Gem Theater, an indie theater located at 48 Cross Street Bethel, ME showing Hearts away games on the biggest screen in western Maine. "Pint of Positivity" - presented to you by The June Cork Pub The June Cork Pub 66 Third Street Dover, NH https://thejunecorkpub.com instagram.com/thejunecork Subscribe for Hearts of Pine coverage, match reactions, interviews, and all things Hearts of Pine. #HeartsOfPine #USL1 #MaineSoccer #TheFrigginSoccerShow

What a night at Fitzpatrick Stadium. We're breaking down Hearts of Pine's dramatic USL Cup win over New York Cosmos. The Hearts controlled the match for long stretches but couldn't find the breakthrough until Diego Gonzalez came off the bench with an impressive equalizer. Then it was Kash Oladapo's turn to be the hero, making two saves in the penalty shootout to help Portland earn the extra point. Bragging rights maintained even if we don't move on in the cup. We'll talk about what we liked, where Hearts are continuing to improve, Bobby Murphy's post-match comments, and why this feels like a team that's starting to find its identity after going unbeaten in three straight matches in all comps. Up the friggin' Hearts! “Big Screen Moment of the Match” - presented by the Gem Theater, an indie theater located at 48 Cross Street Bethel, ME showing Hearts away games on the biggest screen in western Maine. "Pint of Positivity" - presented to you by The June Cork Pub The June Cork Pub 66 Third Street Dover, NH https://thejunecorkpub.com instagram.com/thejunecork Subscribe for Hearts of Pine coverage, match reactions, interviews, and all things Hearts of Pine. #HeartsOfPine #USL1 #PortlandHeartsOfPine #MaineSoccer #TheFrigginSoccerShow

Shawn sits down with Hearts' in-form striker Aboubacar Camara. We hope you enjoy it! Up the friggin' Hearts! Cover image by Chris Linscott.

The Hearts get the job done in Naples. This week on The Friggin' Soccer Show, we're discussing the Hearts 3-2 win over FC Naples. After falling behind twice, the Hearts never gave up. We break down Mbacke Faye's first goal for the club, Diego Gonzalez's late equalizer, and Mikey Lopez's dramatic stoppage-time winner that gave Portland all three points. We'll also talk about what this win means as the Hearts pick up back-to-back league victories for the first time this season and continue to build momentum. Up the friggin' Hearts! “Big Screen Moment of the Match” - presented by the Gem Theater, an indie theater located at 48 Cross Street Bethel, ME showing Hearts away games on the biggest screen in western Maine. "Pint of Positivity" - presented to you by The June Cork Pub The June Cork Pub 66 Third Street Dover, NH https://thejunecorkpub.com instagram.com/thejunecork Subscribe for Hearts of Pine coverage, match reactions, interviews, and all things Hearts of Pine. #HeartsOfPine #USLLeagueOne #PortlandHeartsOfPine #MaineSoccer #TheFrigginSoccerShow #USL1

This one is special, so we wanted to do things a little differently. Instead of sitting down in the studio, we met Portland Hearts midfielder Masashi Wada at one of his favorite restaurants, Ocha Thai in Westbrook, Maine. From the moment we walked in, the staff treated us like family. The food was delicious, the hospitality was even better, and we can't thank everyone at Ocha Thai enough for making this interview possible. Over sushi, Thai food, and plenty of laughs, we got to know the man behind #77. Masashi shares details of growing up in Yokohama, nearly walking away from professional soccer, and the unexpected contact that changed his life and brought him to Maine. We talk about his recovery from injury, the deeply personal Substack he's been writing, the differences between Japanese and American culture, and why the Portland Hearts community has become so meaningful to him. Masashi is one of only a handful of Japanese players competing in USL League One, making his journey a unique one. Watching him embrace a new country, a new style of soccer, and a new language has been remarkable. Since his injury brought an early end to his season, he's documented the experience through his Substack with honesty and vulnerability, giving supporters an authentic look at the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Make sure you subscribe to it - link below. We came away from our conversation with even more admiration for Masashi, not just as a footballer, but as a person. We hope you enjoy getting to know him as much as we did. A huge thank you to everyone at Ocha Thai in Westbrook for taking such great care of us. If you're in the area, do yourself a favor and stop in. We completely understand why it's one of Masashi's favorite places. Amazing people and amazing food - get the Thai iced tea and the Red Dragon roll... seriously. Tell them Sashi sent you! A special thank you to Masashi himself for his kindness and willingness to share his story with us in English (so impressive.) Thank you to Kurt Graser for assisting with filming and to Chris Linscott for the slideshow at the beginning of the episode. Up The Hearts! Follow Masashi's journey: https://masashi77journey.substack.com/

What a night at Fitzpatrick Stadium. Hearts of Pine bounced back in the best possible way, putting five past Richmond in front of an incredible home crowd. A slow and even first half gave way to a magnificent second half performance from the Hearts. On this episode of The Friggin' Soccer Show we talk about Diego Gonzalez opening the scoring, Ollie Wright's towering back post header, Georgallides' commanding wing play, Camara's brilliant brace, and the confidence in the second 45.. We also discuss the atmosphere at Fitzpatric, and why this performance was so sorely needed. Is this the win that gets the momentum rolling? We're breaking it all down from a fan's perspective. Up the friggin' Hearts! “Big Screen Moment of the Match” - presented by the Gem Theater, an indie theater located at 48 Cross Street Bethel, ME - where Hearts fans can gather with fellow Pine Nuts to watch away matches on the biggest screen in western Maine. "Pint of Positivity" - presented to you by The June Cork Pub The June Cork Pub 66 Third Street Dover, NH https://thejunecorkpub.com instagram.com/thejunecork Cover Image by Chris Linscott Subscribe for Hearts of Pine coverage, match reactions, interviews, and all things Hearts of Pine. #HeartsOfPine #USLLeagueOne #PortlandHeartsOfPine #MaineSoccer #TheFrigginSoccerShow #USL1

The Friggin' Soccer Show breaks down a tough night for Portland Hearts of Pine as they fell 5-1 on the road against Westchester SC in USL League One. Despite plenty of possession in the opening stages, Hearts found themselves chasing the game after Westchester struck twice before halftime and continued to add pressure in the second half. There was a bright spot late in stoppage time as Aboubacar Camara scored his third goal of the season after a setup from Ollie Wright, ensuring it wasn't a clean sheet for Westchester. We win together, we lose together. We go again this week. Up the friggin' Hearts! “Big Screen Moment of the Match” - presented by the Gem Theater, an indie theater located at 48 Cross Street Bethel, ME - where Hearts fans can gather with fellow Pine Nuts to watch away matches on the biggest screen in western Maine. "Pint of Positivity" - presented to you by The June Cork Pub The June Cork Pub 66 Third Street Dover, NH https://thejunecorkpub.com instagram.com/thejunecork Cover Image by the Knack Factory Subscribe for Hearts of Pine coverage, match reactions, interviews, and all things Hearts of Pine. #HeartsOfPine #USLLeagueOne #PortlandHeartsOfPine #MaineSoccer #TheFrigginSoccerShow #USL1

This week on The Friggin' Soccer Show, we react to the Hearts of Pine's disappointing 2-1 loss to Chattanooga at home at Fort Fitzy. Diego González grabbed his first goal for the club on his debut, which brought the Hearts level after they found themselves behind in the 2nd minute due to an impressive Chattanooga volley, which found the post and then Morse's back before crossing the line. Ollie Wright could have had a hat trick, but it just wasn't our night. Overall, it felt like a decent showing that probably deserved a better result. We talk about what stood out, what still needs work, and what to expect as Hearts still look to find form as we approach the middle of the season. Up the Hearts! “Big Screen Moment of the Match” - presented by the Gem Theater, an indie theater located at 48 Cross Street Bethel, ME - where Hearts fans can gather with fellow Pine Nuts to watch away matches on the biggest screen in western Maine. "Pint of Positivity" - presented to you by The June Cork Pub The June Cork Pub 66 Third Street Dover, NH https://thejunecorkpub.com instagram.com/thejunecork Cover Image by Chris Linscsott.