Ghanaian forward Ropapa Mensah gave Greenville Triumph SC fans something to cheer about on opening night, but his early strike was not enough as Portland Hearts of Pine snatched a dramatic 3-2 victory at Paladin Stadium.
Mensah broke the deadlock in the 15th minute, finishing smartly from the right side of the box to send the home crowd into celebration.
Greenville looked strong and kept pushing, but Portland equalized just before halftime through Masashi Wada.
The second half started brightly for Greenville as Rodrigo Robles restored the lead in the 50th minute.
