Throughout the Portland Hearts of Pine’s first two seasons, Mikey Lopez has given his blood, sweat and knees in search of victories on the pitch, all while winning the affection of fans who fell in love with his earnest efforts to connect with his new community.
On Saturday against the first-place Charlotte Independence, Lopez will take the field as a professional soccer player for the final time of his 14-year career. Lopez announced Monday that his body, particularly his knees that have undergone two surgeries this season, has told him it’s time to retire.
Lopez will be a starter in his final match, Hearts coach Bobby Murphy said Thursday after practice. It’s a bittersweet moment for both men, who first met when Lopez was a teenager and came to grow as a player at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Texas, where Murphy was the director of the soccer academy.
“I’ve known Mikey since he was 13 when he came to live with me in Austin and I think one thing Mikey will be able to do is, when it’s all said and done, know he gave his very best every day,” Murphy said. “Like the kid got every ounce out of his God-given ability. You see so many kids in this world who have potential and don’t ever realize it, because for one reason or another, and you know he did not fit into that category at all.”
Lopez has described it as a dream to finish his career playing for Murphy.
“I love that guy so much and to be able to be coached by him when I was young, and then again now as a professional and as a man, it means the world to me, and to be able to finish my career with him here as my coach, is the perfect ending for my playing career,” Lopez said.
Murphy said it’s not often that a player gets to leave the sport on his own terms. He called Lopez “lucky” because “he got the absolute most out of his ability and I think every club he’s been at, he was a great servant too, and this place is no different.”
“When I took the (Hearts) job, he was one of my first calls to come up here with me,” Murphy said. “I’m sorry that this year’s been hard on him with the injuries and the two knee operations, but you know he never gave in, never stopped trying, and only wanted the best for this place. I am just really proud of him.”
Lopez has never been the biggest or fastest player to take the pitch, and he rarely scored goals. But he played with a passion for the game, and it was always clear his heart was as large as, if not larger than, anyone’s around him. During matches, his eyes stayed locked on the action. Off the field, they were on his teammates and whatever they were going through. That’s what made two clubs, Portland and Birmingham Legion FC, choose him to captain their inaugural seasons.
He has been a defensive stopper, a piece so valuable that Patrick Vieira, one of the greatest Frenchmen to ever play and a well-respected manager, once chose a 23-year-old Lopez to start a playoff match for NYCFC over English superstar Frank Lampard.
It’s Lopez’s work off the pitch that likely sealed the deal for Hearts’ fans. Lopez visited schools and hospitals and attended so many community events. If there were kids to talk to and to inspire, you could count on Lopez being there. Because of it, the club presented Lopez with its first-ever Lead With Your Heart Community Award in 2025.
Lopez said he doesn’t quite know what to expect Saturday. He is just looking forward to giving back to the fans one more time.
“I’m extremely grateful for them, and thankful for them, because they’ve never left our side, and I’m looking forward to having one more game together, and hopefully, I don’t cry!” Lopez said. “Hopefully.”
Ray Saari has overseen Lopez in his role as the Hearts’ sporting director only since late August. But their paths first crossed years ago. Saari, a Kansas City native, was playing college soccer at Tulsa when Lopez was with Sporting KC, and the two trained together during Saari’s time back home before later playing against each other in the USL Championship.
“I have the utmost respect for a person like that who’s been to where he’s been in his career and played the amount of games, the amount of years,” Saari said. “I think not a whole lot of people understand how hard it is to put together top-end performances like that on such a consistent basis like he has in his career. So I think the club is doing right by him to give him a proper send-off and honor what he’s done in the game because it’s not easy, and … his career is a testament to his mentality and his professionalism and his true dedication and passion.”
And now for the part that should truly excite Hearts fans. Lopez has said that he wants to get into coaching after retirement, adding that he hopes it can keep him in Maine. When Saari was asked whether Lopez could have a coaching future here, he made it clear that it’s a real possibility.
“He’s the club’s first-ever captain, and he’s done a lot of good things here and it’s definitely conversations that Bobby, myself and the ownership group have had about: how do we keep a guy, a good person like this who’s been advancing as a professional, in our organization?” Saari said while pointing out that Lopez already has a license for advanced professional coaching. “It’s a testament to his professionalism and his passion for the game that he was going through this education process while he was still playing, which not enough players do, I can promise you that.”
Quick notes:
Lest we forget, there’s a match to be played. A few weeks ago, when Charlotte was battling Union Omaha for first place, it looked like the match might provide an opportunity for Portland to play a spoiler’s role. Alas, Charlotte took control of the table and has already clinched the Players’ Shield for the top team in the regular season.
What remains unknown is whether Charlotte coach Mike Jeffries (who just became the all-time USL1 leader in coaching wins) will give any of his regular starters a rest or play them all to ensure they remain in form for the playoffs.
“I think I don’t know what Mike’s gonna do,” Murphy said. “They got one guy who’s in contention for the Golden Boot, so I’m sure he’ll play and try and win that, and it doesn’t change what we need to do. Like we need to come out and put in a good effort for the home fans and send them and Mikey off with the best possible result.”
Charlotte forward Souaibou Marou leads the league in goals with 18, two more than Westchester SC’s Conor McGlynn.Statistically speaking, two Hearts players have a chance to lead the league in different categories. With 106 saves, goalkeeper Hunter Morse has the most in USL1 this season. We get to see how this plays out head to head Saturday as Morse is trailed by Charlotte’s Matt Levy, who has 101 saves.
Center back Brecc Evans is the league leader in clearances with 173. He has four more than Jordan Skelton of One Knoxville SC.On Thursday, the Hearts announced that Morse had been chosen as the club’s MVP and the Supporters’ Player of the Year. Morse was selected for his “dependable presence in goal and making crucial stops to keep Hearts in matches throughout the season. His composure under pressure and ability to deliver in key moments have been central to his contributions this year,” the club said. Morse also won MVP in 2025.
Matteo Kidd won Newcomer of the Year, while Mo Mohamed took home the Lead With Your Heart Community Award, the same honor Lopez won in 2025.
Whenever Mikey Lopez was out in the community, you could count on seeing his smile. Photo courtesy of the Portland Hearts of Pine
