We’d never seen anything like it. An old local theater packed to the brim to watch a third division soccer team play thousands of miles away. Drums and trumpets burst through the aisles, flags soared through the air, and deafening chants echoed through the cavernous walls of the historic State Theater in Maine. If you closed your eyes, you could swear you were at Fort Fitzy. And looking down from the highest of balconies at the venue, taking in the surreal scenery before us, it was impossible not to get a little emotional. Portland proving once again that no matter what anyone says, American soccer has a blazingly bright future ahead. In the end, it wasn’t the result the Hearts were looking for, but the story of their inaugural season could never be soured. Throughout the year, they’ve emerged as a beacon of hope for what soccer can be in this country, and they punctuated it with one of the greatest nights we’ve ever gotten to witness on our travels across the country. The scenes simpl...