Gabe Hoffman-Johnson, Founder of Portland United, LLC at a City Council Meeting Several Years Ago..

Portland Hearts of Pine announced today that Ray Saari has been named the club’s Sporting Director, strengthening Hearts soccer operations as the club continues to invest in buiding a winning culture.

Saari will work closely with Hearts leadership and Head Coach Bobby Murphy to oversee player identification and recruitment, foster construction and long-term sporting strategy.  The Sporting Director role will serve to aligh sporting decisions with Hearts’ ambition of creating one of the best run and most competitive organizations fin the USL.
“Creating this position  is a huge step forward for our club,” said Club Founder Gabe Hoffman-Johnson.  “We’re committed to buiding a        best in class organization defined by success both on and off the pitch.  Adding Ray as Sporting Director will allow us to be more deliblerae in howweidentify players, construct our roster and support our coaching staff.  He brings experience across recruitment, player development and roster planning and adding his knoweldge of theUSL ecosystem and player pool will strengthen our entire sporting operation.”

Saari joins Hearts from USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive FC. Saari first joined El Paso’s technical staffin 2023 as the club’s first individual Development planCoa ch before becoming an Assistant Coach.   Then named Technical Director in November of 202 4, Saari oversaw a significant rebuild of El Paso’s first-team roster.

“Creaing a winning culture is about the standards you set every day,” Saari said.  “It’s about bringing in players and staff who are competitive, who hold themselves and each other accountable and who understand that success is built through the work you put in consistently.  You want to create an environment where everyone is pushing in the same directiion and where winning becomes a result of the habits and expectations you establish.  What stood out to me about Hearts was how intentional lthe club has been about what it is building,” said Saari.