There are so many interesting stories when it comes to the Portland Hearts of Pine. But it’s important to remember that there are 16 other clubs in USL League One, each with its own narrative that helps explain how the season has gone.
Every Tuesday, The Hearts’ Beat will pull together a roundup of the most intriguing stories from around the league. Some have a connection to the Hearts; others are just information readers should know.
So let’s take a look!
Even with the USL1 final set, the biggest league news takes us back to Portland. The Soccer Club of Maine returns to the Portland Planning Board today for a second workshop on the club’s plan to build a new 9,000- to 11,000-seat soccer stadium at Cassidy Point.
No vote is scheduled for the 4:30 p.m. meeting on the basement level at City Hall. To join via Zoom from a PC, Mac, iPad or Android, click here. Public comment on the project will be held as part of the workshop, which is the second held by the Planning Board in recent months.
The Planning Board’s eventual vote is only a recommendation. The City Council has the final say.
“The more people understand that this isn’t a done deal, the better,” Kevin Schohl, president and chief business officer of the club, said Monday in a Zoom interview. “The Hearts are all in on this plan, but we need public support to make sure people agree that this is a good vision for the site, vs. leaving it as marine industrial. There are plenty of people who want it to stay waterfront zoning, and we need enough support from people who would rather see this stadium happen.”
According to documents released by the city for the workshop, Portland city planners are leaving the biggest question about the proposed stadium to the Planning Board.
A staff memo prepared for today’s workshop takes no position on whether to rezone about 13.8 acres at 92 Cassidy Point Drive, the current home of Sprague Energy’s marine terminal, from the Waterfront Port Development Zone to B-5 Urban Commercial. Planner Taylor Colbeth wrote that either zone could advance parts of the city’s Comprehensive Plan, which makes the decision “largely discretionary.”
The remaining 9.2 acres along the Fore River would stay in the waterfront zone to maintain deep port access, according to the memo, and Sprague plans to sell the site’s 600-foot pier to tugboat operator McAllister Towing.
Staff did take a side on the other half of the request. The memo supports the club’s proposed text amendment allowing stadiums in the B-5 zone, with one condition: any stadium would need a lot of at least 2 acres. In supporting stadiums in B-5, the memo cites a 2026 University of Southern Maine study that found Portland’s four minor league teams together generate more than $110 million in annual economic activity and support more than 900 jobs statewide.
The memo also addresses a contract zone, which board members raised in September as a way to have the land revert if the stadium never gets built. Staff said that route would first require amending the WPDZ to allow stadiums.
The club’s answer to concerns about losing working waterfront is its market study by Camoin Associates. It argues the terminal’s cargo business has faded and no viable industrial replacement has emerged.The study also records concerns from the Maine Port Authority and Eimskip. The authority said marine-industrial land is scarce, pointing to companies such as defense manufacturer Anduril and shipbuilder Davie that have struggled to find sites in the Portland area.
Eimskip, the Icelandic shipping company whose weekly service docks at the neighboring International Marine Terminal, also told the consultants that moving its storage would mean pricier space and longer truck trips, and warned that losing major customers could eventually threaten that service.
Back to the pitch where this past weekend’s USL1 playoff semifinals provided some electric moments, including one match decided in extra time. Most importantly, the championship will be settled between the top-seeded Charlotte Independence and No. 3 seed Athletic Club Boise. From USL1:
The Charlotte Independence, who rewrote the League One record book by setting new top marks for wins (20), points (66) and goals (74) in a single regular season, clinched its appearance in its first League One Final since 2023 with a 2-1 win over Forward Madison FC in the semifinals, after dispatching FC Naples, 5-1, in the quarterfinal.
Playing in its first and only League One season – the expansion club will move to the USL Championship for the 2027 season – Athletic Club Boise has embarked on a fairytale campaign. The club set a new playoff attendance record when 7,613 fans filled Athletic Club Boise Soccer Stadium for its 2-0 quarterfinal win against One Knoxville SC, then Boise smashed that record in the semifinal, where 8,003 fans were treated to a thrilling 1-0 victory over Chattanooga Red Wolves SC in extra time.
Not only did Charlotte set a slew of records this season, but the Independence also had the top goalkeeper in the league. Matt Levy won the 2026 USL League One Goalkeeper of the Year. From the USL1 report:
The keeper from Pembroke Pines, Fla., was the backbone for Charlotte in its dominant regular season, as it set new League One records for wins (20) and points (66) on its way to winning the Players’ Shield. Levy started 30 of the Independence’s 32 matches and posted 101 saves, which tied him for the second in League One.
Incidentally, Portland’s goalkeeper, Hunter Morse, finished the regular season with a league-leading 107 saves.Westchester SC forward Daniel Burko was honored as the USL League One Player of the Month for October after scoring two goals and adding three assists.
Burko earned the award with 54% of a weighted poll that included the USL League One Technical Committee and an online fan vote held at USLLeagueOne.com. Charlotte Independence forward Souaibou Marou finished second on 24% after recording a league-high six goals for the Players’ Shield winner over the final month of the campaign.FC Naples needs a new coach. Interim Head Coach Zak Gordon announced he is leaving the club after leading Naples to its second straight playoff berth. Naples finished the season red-hot after winning its last six regular-season games, which earned Gordon USL League One Coach of the Month honors for October. From USL1:
Promoted from assistant coach midseason, Gordon quickly made his mark. He helped turn around a losing streak, rallied the locker room behind a shared purpose and brought an aggressive, attack-minded approach. His strength and determination carried FC Naples up the table and into the postseason for the second time in as many seasons.
Naples was eliminated from the playoffs 5-1 by Charlotte in the quarterfinals.