Boston Bolts Will Look to Build Off Promising First Week
Despite the results after two games, there’s a lot to look forward to this summer in Waltham
The Boston Bolts kicked off their 2025 USL 2 campaign with a pair of home matches and while they might not have gotten the results they would’ve hoped for, there were promising signs for the team ahead of a long summer season.
On Matchday 1, the Bolts welcomed Vermont Green FC into Gordon Field on a chilly Wednesday night for the first meeting between the two clubs since 2023. It was never going to be an easy task for Coach Robertson’s squad against the reigning conference semi-finalists who were ranked 5th in the USL 2 power rankings coming into the match.
It was a fairly even game until the 27th minute, when Vermont striker Arnaud Tattevin hit the ball first time into the bottom corner of the net to make it 1-0. Shortly after, disaster struck for the Bolts as starting goalkeeper Mateo Buyu struggled to deal with a high arching back pass, forcing him to trip Tattevin, who was in on an empty goal. Buyu saw red and was sent off, meaning that the Bolts would need to play the remaining 60 or so minutes down a man against a highly capable opposition.
Despite being up a man, Vermont struggled to score as the Bolts back line held firm. It wasn’t until the 50th minute when 2025 College Spring League MVP Stephane Njike scored his second goal of the season off the bench to make it 2-0. But for the remainder of the game, the Bolts back line held Vermont scoreless. Substitute goalkeeper and 2024 NESCAC leader in both goals against average and save percentage Nik Antic was cool, confident, and collected in his surprise cameo after the dismissal of Buyu, making a couple of big stops.
In the closing stages of the game, a strange sequence disturbed what had been a relatively uneventful second half. After a foul at the edge of his own box, Bolts center midfielder Rainer Chai attempted to start a quick counter attack. But as he put the ball down, the quick restart was delayed by Vermont forward Bruno Rosa, who picked the ball up in an attempt to slow down the Bolts. Chai, focused on restarting play quickly, followed through on his attempt to kick a long ball, clipping the ball carrier Rosa in the process.
Despite the loss, there were encouraging signs heading into Matchday 2. After playing a man down for the majority of the game and suffering just a two-goal loss against a highly ranked opponent, there was a lot of belief about what the team could do at full strength against Boston City on Saturday night.
Head Coach Greig Robertson made four changes from midweek for the Battle of Boston, which meant a trio of Bryant teammates across the back line and a slightly different structured midfield system. UMASS Boston winger Ryan Lima got the start at left wing as Jason Zacarias, the left winger from the previous game, was pushed to attacking midfield alongside Alexi Karalis. With Rainer Chai unavailable after his red card on Wednesday, Northeastern midfielder Momo Matthews was left as the lone six.
It took the Bolts twenty minutes or so to settle into the game until they really started to dominate. Right winger Felipe De Andrade produced a couple of fantastic chances, dancing through Boston City defenders along his path to goal. The execution wasn’t quite there, but it felt like a goal could come at any minute.
From the very beginning of the second half, the game was all Bolts. Not only were they controlling a vast majority of the possession, but they were getting into really good spots and getting decent looks at goal. In one of the best chances of the entire game, De Andrade cut into the box on his favored left foot and fired a curling attempt on net. After a deflection, Boston City goalkeeper Patrick Moulton was able to make a respectable stop, keeping the game tied at zero. Moulton was busy in the second half, facing a plethora of Bolts attempts on goal, although the majority were right in his bread basket.
The Bolts had a ton of set piece opportunities in the second half, with numerous free kicks from the edge of the box and a fair share of corner kicks, including one in the final moments of the game. Second half attacking substitutes Aydin Jay and Jacob Coates were bright, producing some good moments of wing play in the final third. Ultimately though, the Bolts were unable to break the deadlock, and the game ended in a 0-0 stalemate after a dominant 90 minutes for Coach Robertson’s squad.
Still, there were a handful of positives for the Bolts to take away from their first point of the season. For one, they generated a great deal of significant goal-scoring opportunities and demonstrated a clear attacking brand of play. De Andrade stood out as a flashy, skillful attacker who can make things happen in the final third, highlighting himself as someone to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
On the defensive side, the Bolts were strong and steady. They captured their first clean sheet of the season after a resilient effort just a few days previous, down a man against Vermont Green FC. Captain Abdel Talabi was the heart and soul of the back line, demonstrating aerial dominance and on-field leadership that sparked successful team defending. From the first two games alone, it's clear that Talabi is the rock required to hold down the fort for the Bolts’ defense.
The Bolts will try to build off their momentum from the first two matches this upcoming Wednesday, as they host the reigning National Champions, Seacoast United Phantoms in search of their first three points of the 2025 campaign. It’ll be the third game in what is a five-game home stand for the team to open the season.
Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM on the 28 at Gordon Field.