The Opposition Report II — MD21 vs Portland Hearts of Pine
Fort Wayne Football Club travels to Fitzpatrick Stadium for the second meeting of the season against a Portland side that has been busy this summer, announcing both a new stadium and new additions to their roster. Both clubs have rested starters and will be hungry for points as the playoff line comes into focus.
Saturday, August 29 | 7:00 PM ET | Fitzpatrick Stadium, Portland, ME | ESPN+
Prior Proceedings
All-Time vs Portland Hearts of Pine (W-D-L): 1-0-0
The Opposition Report
MD6 Recap & Analysis
Our first meeting was the first win at Ruoff Mortgage Stadium. Mike Avery moved Jayden Smith and JP Jordan into Ollie Wright’s corridor, and Portland’s most dangerous winger picked up a booking before halftime trying to play through the pair. Lilian Ricol scored twice, running off the back shoulder of Portland’s center backs, and Taig Healy added a third that still holds up for a Fort Wayne FC Goal of the Year candidate. The 3-0 scoreline flattered us a little. Portland created real chances that night, including the best single look of the match a minute before Ricol’s opener, and Bernd Schipmann’s clean sheet was earned.
Since our last meeting, Portland has been trending down the table. They have not won a league match since early July and have sunk to 13th on a 17-team table, 5 spots off the final playoff position. As a result, Portland has been busy bolstering their roster. Some of their new additions include Diego Gonzalez, an attacking midfielder, on loan from Houston Dynamo 2, an MLS Next Pro club. He has become the focal point of Portland’s attack and their most reliable source of goals. The club has signed three more players this month: fullback Eiji Hata, bought from that same Dynamo 2 pipeline, Argentine striker Felipe Rodriguez-Gentile, and midfielder Diego Letayf Escutia, fresh off a USL League Two title with Vermont Green.
Portland have been busy off the field as well, recently announcing plans for a permanent 9,000-11,000 seat stadium at Cassidy Point on Portland’s waterfront, targeting early 2029 to open the stadium. The stadium gives Portland deeper roots in a community that already loves the club. Their passionate fanbase is ready for Portland to get back to winning, and they are hoping that starts Saturday night.
The Matchup II
This one is about as much of a reset as you could ask for at this point in the season. Both teams are desperate for points and are looking to put the finishing touch on rosters in flux. One thing is for certain: Fitzpatrick Stadium is the hottest ticket in this league. Portland has sold out every home match since the club began play, the crowds run past the listed capacity, and the season ticket waitlist is longer than the building holds. It’s one of the Away Days both the fans and players look forward to, a real away days environment.
A full house in Maine, against a team we beat comfortably in May, that will have a new look attack.
Head coach Bobby Murphy left Ollie Wright, captain Mikey Lopez, and striker Aboubacar Camara out of the lineup for the past two away matches against One Knoxville SC and the Richmond Kickers. A club off the playoff line is preparing for one final push before their season ends early. They will have starters rested, new faces finding their form, and a home crowd behind them. This will not be an easy team to beat. They want a final playoff spot as bad as we do.
Fort Wayne FC will have had two weeks to rest and prepare for Portland. The gap in our schedule was created when South Georgia Tormenta FC paused operations this past offseason. That missing fixture has afforded Mike Avery and the coaching staff an extra week to tinker with our new look lineup. Lilian Ricol, who was recently transferred to San Antonio FC, played a big role in our last win against Portland Hearts of Pine. Where Ricol beat defenders with pace, Ryan Becher will need to beat defenders to space, and in doing so, allow Taig Healy to float underneath the big man and find the game.
It’s that pairing, alongside quality service from Javier Armas and Michael Rempel, that keeps Fort Wayne competitive in this match.
I’d love to see goal contributions coming from our bench. Recently, I’ve talked about depth as being the difference between playoff and non-playoff teams in USL League One. This will be another opportunity to see if anyone off the bench can impact the final minutes. Those non-starters are just as important at this point in the season.
The next six matches will determine if we deserve one of the final playoff spots in our first season. Wins are becoming critical; ties and losses keep us out of the playoffs. Our playoff push starts Saturday.
Always FWD