**What Does It Take to Win a Professional Soccer Knockout Playoff Game?**
The Portland Hearts of Pine, Maine’s first-year team in USL League One, are about to find out. The seventh-seeded Hearts (11-7-12) will be on the road at the second-seeded Chattanooga Red Wolves (15-5-10) this Saturday for a quarterfinal match kicking off at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+. The winner will advance to next weekend’s semifinals against the No. 3 Spokane Velocity or the No. 6 South Georgia Tormenta.
For several of Portland’s key players, this is new territory. Standout left back Nathan Messer, who leads USL1 with 221 crossing passes, rookie center back Kemali Green, rookie striker Titus Washington, and Trinidad and Tobago national team midfielders Michel Poon-Angeron and Natty James have yet to experience postseason play as active participants. However, they can lean on veteran teammates for guidance.
“The dark arts become more darker,” said midfielder/defender Mikey Lopez, the Hearts captain currently in his 13th pro season (five in MLS, seven in USL Championship). “I mean, it’s just being game savvy, being able to manage the game whether you’re winning or losing.”
Forward Azaad Liadi, a pro since 2020 with experience across USL Championship, USL1, and MLS NextPro, added that playoff games often come down to work rate, especially off the ball. “Everyone’s desperate to move on. So everyone is going to give everything they can and give every last push because if you lose, your season’s over,” Liadi said.
Chattanooga boasts the league’s stingiest defense, leading USL1 with 11 shutouts and conceding just 30 goals in 30 games. The Red Wolves have already bested Portland once this season with a 2-1 victory on June 7 at their home turf, CHI Stadium in East Ridge, Tennessee. Their meeting at Fitzpatrick Stadium on September 13 ended in a testy 1-1 draw.
Portland rallied after conceding a penalty kick in first-half added time, even as center backs Sean Vinberg and replacement Sega Coulibaly went down with injuries. The match saw eight yellow cards (five to Chattanooga), highlighting the intensity.
“They’re second in the league for a reason,” said Hearts forward Jake Keegan, who has played for five USL1 teams. “They’ve had a better season than us to this point, and it’s our job to now turn the tables.”
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### Playoff Format
Unlike regular-season games, if the quarterfinal match is tied at the end of regulation, there will be two 15-minute overtime periods played in their entirety. If the score remains tied after overtime, the game will be decided by penalty kicks. Both Portland and Chattanooga have won two penalty shootouts this year. Portland earned shootout victories over Hartford Athletic in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Lewiston High and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds during the USL Cup at Fitzpatrick Stadium. Chattanooga secured two U.S. Open Cup shootout wins as well.
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### Upset Alert?
The 2024 USL1 playoffs have already seen one quarterfinal upset in the No. 7 vs. No. 2 matchup. The first-year franchise Spokane Velocity stunned Northern Colorado Hailstorm 3-0 on their way to the championship match. Northern Colorado, meanwhile, folded its franchise after the season.
Both Jake Keegan and Hearts midfielder Pat Langlois previously played for Northern Colorado.
“There’s so much more pressure, knowing there’s no second chances,” said Langlois, who spent five seasons playing professionally in his native Australia. “When you go on a run and go to finals, it’s the best feeling ever, but when you lose early, you’re left wondering what went wrong.”
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### Missing Masashi
Portland attacking midfielder Masashi Wada, who tied Ollie Wright for the team lead in goals during league play with nine, is sidelined due to a one-game suspension. Wada received a red card in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with AV Alta FC.
Coach Bobby Murphy indicated that Jake Keegan, who has 31 career USL1 goals, is a likely candidate to replace Wada. Another option could be shifting Natty James inside from his usual right wing position.
At Wednesday’s training session, Murphy said his 18-player game-day roster should mirror the group from the regular-season finale, with the exception of rookie Evan Southern being added to cover Wada’s absence.
If this holds true, Azaad Liadi will be available at striker alongside rookie Titus Washington. Liadi, who has six goals in 15 matches this season, had missed 17 consecutive games before coming on late against AV Alta. He appeared to be fully fit at practice.
Ollie Wright, tallying nine goals and eight assists in USL1 play, will attack from his usual left wing spot. Other offensive options include Keegan, James, Jay Tee Kamara, and Southern.
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### Defensive Lineup
Regular starters Michel Poon-Angeron and Mikey Lopez are expected to hold down the center midfield, with Pat Langlois providing reserve depth.
Defensively, left back Messer and goalkeeper Hunter Morse, who leads the league with 83 saves, are locked in. However, the backline beyond them remains less certain. Sega Coulibaly and right back Colby Quinones have returned from injury, providing options alongside Kemali Green and Sean Vinberg at center back.
Among the right back candidates—Shandon Wright, Quinones, or Mo Mohamed—it’s likely one will be left out. Mohamed did not dress for the regular-season finale, hinting at a trim roster decision for the playoff game.
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As the Portland Hearts gear up to face the formidable Chattanooga Red Wolves, experience, resilience, and tactical management will all be put to the test in this high-stakes knockout game. With everything on the line, this quarterfinal promises gripping soccer action from start to finish.
https://www.sunjournal.com/2025/10/30/hearts-of-pine-will-try-to-keep-their-season-going-in-playoffs/
