‘Everyone is reaping the rewards’ - How Portland Hearts of Pine evolved from cult hipster brand into a thriving USL League One club and ‘beacon of grassroots football’

It was the kits that first went viral. Portland nailed them. The Internet said so in its millions of clicks and engagements.

The goal was a mixture of expression and authenticity, Hoffman-Johnson told GOAL last year. The soccer hipsters loved the long-sleeves and the hoops. The Mainers loved the ruggedness.

Throw in a campaign that was distinctly not all that about soccer - a lasting image was a man with a chainsaw, cutting down a tree with a battered undershirt, punctuating with the kit - and they found a crossover that few in mainstream soccer could replicate.

That was only part of the journey, Hoffman-Johnson says.

“The jerseys have gone to every state,” he said. “They’ve gone to 40 countries. But I think there's a love of the way that we celebrate the community, the way that we uplift the community. We do the right things for the right reasons.”

More broadly, the challenge was to develop a product that fans could get behind. There’s no point in having a cool brand if the fanbase can’t enjoy the soccer. Portland doesn’t have an NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL team. But it does have a strong sporting culture, and deep ties to the beautiful game. The fans here expect success.

But many in the world of prediction-making didn’t believe. In the eyes of some, Portland were little beyond a cool badge and striking jerseys. The soccer was a bonus, and it wasn’t necessarily going to be very good.

Ketchen, co-chair of the Hearts of Pine supporters’ group Dirigo Union, rejected that notion from day one.

“ Somebody says they're going to come in and they're going to look for good people, they're going to play a very hard-nosed brand of football that reflects the community that they're representing. I'm going to believe that,” he told GOAL.

They were right, of course. Portland won their first playoff game over the weekend. They will face a win-or-go-home conference semifinal against Spokane Velocity - a team they battered 6-1 two weeks ago.

Portland were assertive in their squad early on. It started with the coaching hire. Those outside of the USL sphere may not know much about Bobby Murphy. There are, of course, hundreds of coaches who have practiced their craft in all three divisions.

But Murphy made sense for a number of reasons. The first was his MLS experience - he worked at Orlando City from 2016-18, twice serving as interim manager. But perhaps more important were the six years in between. He coached at three separate levels, most recently at St. Louis City 2 of MLS Next Pro, building a new side and carrying them to the 2024 Western Conference finals.

Murphy, then, was a serious hire.

“You have this insane coaching staff,” Ketchen said. “You have Bobby Murphy, who has almost three decades of professional coaching experience across every level in America.”

Alongside him, they brought in Alex Ryan, a reliable USL League Two vet, and Yuta Nomura, an experienced goalkeeping coach. Ketchen was impressed.

“That is a very strong core, and it's a core that understands how to develop talent, how to work with young talent, and mold young professionals,” he said.

The squad didn't look bad either. Nathan Messer, formerly of Rhode Island FC, was a shrewd signing at fullback. Ollie Wright was a USL vet who could create and score from midfield. Jay Tee Kamara spent time in the Swedish league and brought experience. Joint top-scorer Masashi Wada played for a decade in Japanese football before being coaxed to the U.S..

Perhaps more important than all of that were the deep ties that the club worked within the community. Hoffman-Johnson’s journey started with the 2022 World Cup, when he saw the potential that Portland had as a soccer city during a watch party for the England-USA game. It was a miserable contest, but thousands turned out in the rain to see a scoreless draw. That was passion. And his team could tap into it.

Ketchen and co were sold early. They founded their supporters’ group before the club even debuted. They were there in bars and pubs when USL soccer was merely a rumor. Ketchen is a lifelong fan and a stout Liverpool supporter. He used to wake up at 5 a.m. and drive down south to a bar to watch the Reds play on Saturday mornings.

There, he met Hoffman-Johnson. And they just talked about soccer. Ketchen had a podcast at the time. Hoffman-Johnson suggested that if this whole Portland thing worked out, they could perhaps help promote the team.

“It was like, ‘Hey, the supporter group needs some help. And you guys know ball and you're excited about this, so you know, just go talk with them, see what you can do,’” Ketchen said.

That was two years ago. The badge was released a year later, along with some merch. Last month, they added their 850th paying member.

“It's humbling,” he said. “I'm a lifelong Mainer. It goes beyond soccer. We're very sports crazy up here, we're very competitive. We love to talk sh*t. We'll follow our teams off a cliff.”

No one was quite sure what to make of Fitzpatrick Stadium. Hoffman-Johnson knew all of the pieces were in place for something that could be successful. The shirt had sold well. The community was, to say the least, aware that soccer was coming. But nothing was guaranteed - even if he believed in the product.

And then their home opener sold out. Things haven’t really slowed down since. The fans packed the stands. The club have released three kits over the course of the season. Those who have been to the matches will tell you that their atmosphere is unparalleled in lower league soccer.

“We're here to be good stewards of our community and good stewards of our team, and that starts with making sure that everyone feels like they can come to Fitzpatrick,” Ketchen said.

On the pitch, there were ups and downs, but a midseason run of six wins in a row - as part of an 8-game undefeated stretch - set up a playoff spot. Wright, who has been a standout attacking force, never lost hope.

“I think we've all bought into the culture and the playing style that [Murphy] wants us to play,” he said, “and it's helping me be more effective in front of goal. It's helping the defenders be more effective defending the goal. Everyone is reaping the rewards.”

And that signature atmosphere? It’s better than anywhere he’s been.

“I’ve played for many a team,” Wright said. “I've been lucky to play for teams that have always been relatively well supported in the stands. But not always as much off the field as Hearts of Pine have been.”

On Oct. 25, Portland were on the edge of securing a home playoff game. But they had to settle for a point against AV Alta. Less than a week before, they set the USL League One attendance record. Sure, there would be no playoff soccer in their state. But they got their number.

And perhaps that’s what matters the most: the community, the impact, the passion. Portland are a tiny club in Maine. But they’re also massive, a hipster brand gone global.

Talking about the team’s success, Wright wound through every answer expertly. He took GOAL’s call while walking along the beach in Portland. And halfway through a question about Portland’s fan culture, he paused.

“There’s a couple over there sitting on a towel,” he observed, “and they’ve both got Hearts of Pine hats on.”

Click here to read article