August 6, 2025 - Portland Hearts of Pine vs. Halifax Wanderers (club friendly)

Football has taken us to matches across the country—from New York to Los Angeles, Houston to Philadelphia—and since launching The Football Misfits, we’ve had our boots on the ground in 13 states plus Washington, D.C. Our latest stop was a first: a trip to Maine for an international club friendly between USL League One’s Portland Hearts of Pine and the Halifax Wanderers of the Canadian Premier League.

Announced just two weeks prior on July 22, the match sold out in minutes—a testament to how Portland has embraced its first professional club in its inaugural season. A capacity crowd of 5,645 packed Fitzpatrick Stadium for a spirited contest between the two sides separated by roughly 540 miles.

The Hearts struck first in the 18th minute through Mickey Reilly and carried the lead into halftime. Halifax equalized just over 10 minutes into the second half—a strike we admittedly missed while making our way back to position, though the replays showed it was a beauty. As the match wore on, tempers flared, with the Wanderers reduced to 10 men before a stoppage-time dust-up ahead of a Portland free kick. When play resumed, the ball pinged around the box until Ollie Wright, a 26-year-old Englishman, smashed home the winner, sealing a 2–1 victory and sending the home crowd into celebration.

Portland’s strong performances at Fort Fitzy in their debut season have them closing in on a playoff place, while Halifax occupies fifth in the CPL table, a position that secures a postseason play-in spot.

From the roar at kickoff to the explosion after Wright’s goal, Portland showed exactly why Maine belongs on the American soccer map—and why we’ll be back in the Pine Tree State again.