Owen O'Malley Secures Vermont Green FC's First Northeast Division Title
"Whatever happened happened and I'm back here, but all I gotta say is, it's for the fans and for the people of the community."
Sometimes the true story is better than any work of fiction that can be created. On a Friday in Western Massachusetts, another chapter in Vermont Green FC’s history books was written.
Vermont needed a draw or a win to clinch its first USL League Two division title. The club dubbed it the most important match in its young existence, highlighting how much the organization cares about lifting trophies.
The Green’s fanbase is one of the rowdiest and most loyal in all of USL League Two. Even though the season is short and there is loads of roster turnover, both a supporters’ culture and soccer culture has been birthed in Burlington.
A bus was chartered from Burlington, filled with fans to come support the Green. Fans were chanting in the stands even as rain storms forced a 30 minute delay to kickoff due to lightning.
The Green went down a goal in the 41st minute as Western Mass Pioneers executed a perfect free kick that was headed home by Juan Hermoso. There was still plenty of soccer left to play, but entering the half down a goal saw the Green’s chances of lifting a trophy waning.
In the 64th minute, Western Mass’ Israel Neto launched a shot on net that goalkeeper Niklas Herczeg was able to get to, but the shot squeaked by him. It felt like that could be the final nail in the coffin for the Green.
Soon after, Vermont made changes, including bringing Owen O’Malley onto the pitch. While only 23 years old, O’Malley is a grizzled veteran in USL League Two terms. He was a star of Vermont’s debut season in 2022 where he helped lead the Green to an inaugural playoff birth. His efforts would propel him to getting drafted ninth overall in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft.
After failing to find his place in MLS, O’Malley made a homecoming of sorts to Burlington in 2025. It provided an opportunity to return to a place where he made so many memories and played some of his best soccer.
The 23-year-old hadn’t received a lot of playing time but instantly made an impact, providing pace and aggression to a team that desperately needed it. It was the type of play that fans love but Vermont needed goals — not grit — if it wanted to lift a trophy.
Zach Zengue tallied a goal in the fifth minute of extra time, a great effort, but seemingly a consolation.
Then in the eighth minute of stoppage time, O’Malley showed why he was drafted in the first round of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. He took a touch and launched a curler into the far corner of the net, and pandemonium ensued.
O’Malley and the rest of Vermont’s squad raced to celebrate with The Green Mountain Bhoys, who travelled all the way from Burlington. Hundreds of fans made the 216-mile trip from Vermont. His teammates piled on top of him but O’Malley looked like he was on a different plane of existence.
“I took the touch in, and I knew that once I hit, it was in,” he told The Blazing Musket. “It means a lot to me, not only because my grandma passed away recently, but it means a lot to me for the fans.”
After his spectacular season in Vermont’s debut campaign in 2022, O’Malley was drafted ninth overall by St. Louis CITY SC. He would go on to make 26 appearances in MLS NEXT Pro, failing to earn first-team appearances with St. Louis and eventually spending time with the Tacoma Defiance. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that O’Malley was suspended twice for violating team rules.
“It's unreal,” O’Malley said when asked about being able to win a division title for Vermont. “I came here in '22 when the team was in its inaugural season, and they helped me propel to the next level. Whatever happened happened and I'm back here, but all I gotta say is, it's for the fans and for the people of the community. They stuck by us all season, and I just do it for them at the end of the day. It's not for me, it's for them.”
Head coach Chris Taylor acknowledged that part of the reason O’Malley didn’t play was due to fitness and injury issues.
“He's had injuries and fitness issues, he's had his ups and downs,” Taylor said. “But you know what, the guy loves the club to death, and he's been lighting up training the last week or so. So we're like, you know what this kid can score, and I didn't think he'd do it that way, but he's a special player.”
It appeared that O’Malley was returning to Burlington as a beaten and battered former hero, but that isn’t the case. He remains the star player from 2022, possessing the quality to win matches and trophies. He just needed to be in a place where he could flourish, and that is in Burlington.