Very few things have come easily for Portland Hearts of Pine forward Walter Varela.

“Resilient. Never give up,” Varela said when asked to describe his soccer journey. “I’ve had so many reason to give up, but I just choose never to give up.”

That’s part of the reason Portland coach Bobby Murphy and Varela’s teammates were so effusive in their praise after he made his first start following hernia surgery in the Hearts’ 2-1 USL Cup win last Saturday against Rhode Island FC.

They know Varela’s story.

“Walter is a good example of a guy who is this club,” Murphy said.

Varela, 29, immigrated to the greater Boston area at age 20 from Cape Verde. His introduction to organized soccer in the U.S. was far from glamorous. He played at Bunker Hill Community College, where he was a junior college All-American. Then came stints with semi-pro teams in Massachusetts. His first pro shot came in 2022 with Albion San Diego in the then-third division National Independent Soccer Association, followed by a season in USL League One with the Chattanooga Red Wolves, only to be without a team in 2024.

Even his strong 2025 season with Portland ended on a downbeat. The hernia injury caused him to miss the final five matches, including both playoff contests. The subsequent surgery kept him out of action for six months.

“That’s like Maine, right? Nothing comes easy,” said Hearts keeper Hunter Morse, who praised Varela for his soccer IQ. “You’ve got to work for what you’ve got. Walt has always worked for what he has, for what he deserves.”

Center back Kemali Green said Varela’s “super funny” personality is a key part of the locker room. On the field, his experience and quality “helps us in many ways, whether that’s defensively, offensively. It’s a plus for any team.”

Varela said he’s always brought a positive spirit to his work.

“Either on the field or not, I’m always supportive of my teammates. I’m always fun. I want to have a good time. Also, I want to win.”

Varela scored the first goal in Hearts of Pine history on his 28th birthday. He appeared in 33 of the franchise’s first 34 games in 2025, making 23 starts. He was initially released after the 2025 season, only to be resigned three weeks later.

Varela missed the first nine games this season as Portland went 2-4-3 overall (2-2-3 in USL1) before getting an 18-minute run in a 2-2 tie at Union Omaha. He was back on the Fitzpatrick Stadium pitch last Saturday, and it was his cross from the right side that created a penalty kick, resulting in Ollie Wright’s eventual winning goal.

“It feels great to be back at full fitness and to be in there fighting for my team. That’s the best feeling,” Varela said.

And he’s not going to start taking anything for granted. Varela pointed out there are 26 players on the Hearts’ roster. Only 18 can dress for a match. Of those, 11 will start. There are no playing time guarantees.

“Your train every day. It is not given. You’ve got to earn it,” Varela said.

UP NEXT

The Hearts of Pine (2-2-4; 3-4-4 overall), 10th in the 17-team USL1 standings, will look to ride their momentum from knocking off a USL Championship team when they host Greenville Triumph SC at 6:30 p.m. Saturday (ESPN+, NESN+). The Triumph are 16th with a 2-4-0 record and have not played in two weeks since a 3-0 home loss May 9 against Richmond. That was Greenville’s third straight shutout defeat. … Portland is 2-0 all-time against Greenville. … Neither team has been prolific offensively. Portland has scored nine goals in eight league games; Greenville has eight in six games. Portland has conceded nine goals, Greenville has allowed 12. … Portland has sold out all 22 Fitzy matches in the club’s brief history. The announced crowd against Rhode Island was 6,307, the second-largest in franchise history. Portland drew 6,440 vs. Spokane in its penultimate home game in 2025.