Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship
With a rival in town, Vermont Green FC fans left the shelter of bleacher underpasses and continued filing in, not out, of Virtue Field as the game and downpour carried on Saturday.
The opposing Seacoast United Phantoms, champion of United Soccer League 2 last season, assumed its formation a seemingly weaker squad than in years past. Vermont managed just one win over Seacoast across the teams’ eight meetings last year and fell to the Epping, New Hampshire, club 3–0 in the 2024 playoffs.
Accumulating a 1–1–1 record entering the matchup, Seacoast’s sluggish start this season suggested a ripe time for the Green to make a move. A three-game win streak and nine to nil victory on May 27 positioned Vermont at the top of the Northeast Division table.
“This is the best that we’ve ever looked,” said Jenn Kudrle, who has followed the club since its debut 2022 season.
And it was: The Green routed the Phantoms 4–0 to stay atop the division standings.
Within five minutes of play, forward David Ajagbe broke through traffic, infiltrating the Seacoast box and slotting the ball into the net’s far corner. By halftime, a lefty longball from forward Enzo Dovlo pinpointed forward Arnaud Tattevin, ending in a header at 25 minutes for a 2–0 lead.
“Every time we get the ball we look dangerous, it’s great to watch,” said fan Bryan Parmelee.
At each of Green’s 12 home matches, local organizations speak about their missions, often before thousands of fans. At Saturday night’s halftime, Migrant Justice, an advocacy group for immigrant farmworkers’ rights, was among those at the team’s Labor Night.
“We’re here to show our face as a community because we know that this administration is trying to criminalize,” said Ricardo Santamaria, translated from Spanish by Will Lambek from Migrant Justice. “We want to show that we are workers, not criminals.”
The chance to collaborate with the team and take part in its community spotlights has attracted more and more interest each season, said club co-founder Sam Glickman.
“It’s our sort of way to give a platform and use our platform for positivity,” he said.
Confident after a dominant 45 minutes, the Green fortified the gap with a third goal from a cross by Dovlo, crawling past four defensemen and put to bed by midfielder Zachary Zengue in the 57th minute. Later, a corner kick by midfielder Julien Le Bourdoulous zipped past the goal and landed at the chest of Eskil Gjerde, who delivered the Green a 4–0 final with a close-range volley 74 minutes in.
The win signaled a fresh team ready for new challenges as the Green take on Albany Rush on the road this Wednesday and return home for a 7 p.m. matchup against the Boston Bolts on June 7.
Despite the chill this past weekend, fans took up free Ben & Jerry’s scoops and brought life to Virtue Field under the cover of dark clouds.
“It’s worth suffering a little bit for your local club,” said Parmelee.