As Bobby Murphy steadily puts together the first Hearts of Pine professional soccer roster, the veteran coach spends hours recruiting and networking to find potential players. Then comes an extensive vetting process to make sure these good players are also good fits for Portland’s USL League One expansion team.

The process was simpler when it came to signing veteran Mikey Lopez, a 31-year-old midfielder about to enter his 13th professional season, a career that includes 41 MLS matches from 2013-17. Murphy already had all the background information.

“I’ve known Mikey since he was 12,” Murphy said. That’s when the young Mission, Texas, native came to St. Stephens Academy, a soccer academy in Austin, Texas, run by Murphy. Lopez stayed there for the next five years before going to the University of North Carolina where he helped the Tar Heels win the 2011 NCAA championship.

“He’s had the personality and work habits of a pro since he was 13 years old,” Murphy said.

Lopez said his long-standing relationship with Murphy is the primary reason he and his wife, Elena, are now living in Maine. Being an integral part of a club from its inception also appeals to Lopez. He was the first captain for Birmingham (Alabama) Legion when it joined USL Championship in 2019. Prior to that he played for New York City FC in its second MLS season in 2016.

“It’s something that I enjoy being a part of, setting the foundation of the club,” Lopez said. “Like Bobby has said, this (Hearts of Pine) club is going to outlive all of us. So it’s up to us to make sure we set it up to last a long time.”

Lopez is the Hearts’ elder statesman. “I’m probably the only one who’s married. I’m also the oldest one, too,” he said.

Murphy and Lopez both expect Lopez to be an integral on-field performer for the Hearts. His experience and professionalism are also valuable assets.

“He brings standards, he brings accountability, he brings professionalism and he brings a very good way of working with younger players,” Murphy said. “That is enough to bring him here. But there’s also an emotional part. I love the kid like he’s one of my own.”

On Wednesday morning, Lopez and his new Hearts of Pine teammates, along with several practice players (“trialists” in soccer terms, Murphy said) were going through an intense 90-minute training session at Portland Sports Complex’s indoor turf field.

Lopez looked like a natural leader both in the center of the midfield and during hydration breaks, as he offered pointers to teammates. He led the post-training team stretch that soon had players dissecting sequences during the training session and asking each other about their soccer backgrounds.

“In my own experience the most successful teams are the teams that feel like a family and are really tight knit,” Lopez said. “I feel like a broken record with the foundation aspect but that’s what we’re trying to do. To make sure everyone feels welcome, that they feel a part of the team and part of the family.”

Lopez is 12 months removed from Achilles tendon surgery that cost him the entire 2024 season with Birmingham Legion of USL Championship. From 2019-23 Lopez played in 119 matches, almost all as a starter at defensive midfield.

In December, Birmingham released Lopez, who was limited to 19 games in 2023 by a double sports hernia surgery. He signed with the Hearts of Pine before Jan. 1.

Lopez spent his formative soccer days at St. Stephens, from eighth grade through his senior year, before going to the University of North Carolina.

In 2013, after his sophomore year of college soccer, Lopez was the 14th overall pick in the 2013 MLS Super Draft by Sporting Kansas City. Over three seasons with Sporting KC, Lopez played in 14 MLS matches and also was on loan to multiple clubs. He played in 27 MLS matches with New York City FC in 2016 and 2017. He was with San Antonio of USL Championship in 2018 before establishing himself as an integral part of the Birmingham franchise.

DEFENDER QUINONES HAS STRONG MAINE CONNECTION

While Lewiston’s Khalid Hersi is rightly hailed as being the first Maine resident signed by the Pines, defender Colby Quinones, 21, a five-year pro with the New England Revolution II is the first Pines player to be born in Maine.

Quinones, who plays primarily right back, was born in Biddeford where his family lived until he was 3 (Hersi was born in Georgia). After living in Colorado for about 10 years, the Quinones family returned to New England and settled in Bedford, New Hampshire. Quinones joined the New England Revolution Academy program at 15 and signed his first pro contract ahead of the 2020 season. He holds the Revolution II club record for games played.

Quinones was drawn to Portland by the Hearts’ promotion of culture and community building. Also, USL League One will be a competitive “step higher” than MLS Next Pro, he said.

“I felt in the past I was playing mostly for myself and looking deep down, that’s not who I am. I want to be part of something bigger. That was the driving factor behind it,” Quinones said. “I do think USL League One is a step higher in terms of speed of play, in terms of physicality. Age is the biggest one. I think the average age was like 26, 27 last year in this league and in MLS Next Pro you’re seeing at least four or five 16-, 17-year-olds.”

OFF TO WARMER CLIMATES

Ahead of its March 29 season opener at FC Naples in Naples, Florida, the Hearts will have two training trips to get in full-field work. From Feb. 10-17, they will be in Orlando, Florida, exclusively for training. Then comes a Feb. 21-25 trip to Bermuda that will include preseason games against the Bermudan national team and Rhode Island FC of USL Championship. … The Hearts’ home opener at Fitzpatrick Stadium is May 4 against One Knoxville SC. … During Tuesday’s training Murphy made it clear he expects players to play with pace, intensity, to be on the attack and to always be competing. Every day. Because as he put it at one point, “this is big boy soccer.”

Later Murphy said,  “The way we want to play is a learned behavior. It’s not people’s nature to be uncomfortable and the way we’re going to play you have to be uncomfortable at times.”