Vermont Green FC Preparing For U.S. Open Cup Challenge
Vermont Green FC Preparing For U.S. Open Cup Challenge
"It's going to be a challenge for the first 45 minutes or so as our players adjust."
Vermont Green FC and head coach Adam Pfeifer know that they will be facing a challenge when they play the first-ever U.S. Open Cup match to be played in the Green Mountain State.
The Green will be facing USL League One side Lexington SC on March 19. Pfeifer knows the challenge that Lexington will face even though they will be playing away from home.
“I think what stands out the most is just the physicality and athleticism sort of like throughout their entire, at least the team that played the other night,” Pfeifer told The Blazing Musket. “That's probably the thing that stands out the most. New coach, lot of new players, so they're still trying to figure out who they are and what they want to be but it's obvious to us just sort of the size and the physicality and athleticism is going to be a challenge for us for sure. But I do think honestly, from a technical standpoint, we've got a lot of guys that can play at that level, but being able to kind of get up to speed with the tempo and intensity that those guys are going to be playing is going to be a challenge for the first 45 minutes or so as our players adjust.”
But that doesn’t mean that Vermont won’t have a home-field advantage. Weather could play a factor and a bumper crowd is expected for the match.
“Well, I hope it's cold,” the head coach and sporting director quipped. “I'm sure that's not something that the Lexington players are going to be too excited about. Our guys are mostly based in the Northeast so they've experienced what that's like and it does make a difference. As far as the atmosphere like, anytime we get an opportunity to play in Vermont — in front of our fans — it is special.”
The Green have had to also deal with challenges in the months leading up to the Open Cup match. The club has only recently found out that they will be hosting the match and who they will be playing. For a club that is still in the middle of its offseason, this only added to the pressure of facing an opponent who is in a higher league.
“I think there was definitely some frustration waiting for the draw,” the head coach and sporting director said. “Us being an amateur club and not kind of being in season, it obviously sort of affected us in a different way than it would have any other club that's in a preseason and has a date that they know that they're playing. For us, we needed to know where we were playing, who we were going to be able to have access to in terms of players. So, again, we're really excited but we're still sort of working out details now in terms of getting people here. It's all going to work out but it's just sort of pushed back our timeline for everything.”
Vermont will be fielding a team mostly made up of college players (which contrary to popular belief according to the head coach is allowed under NCAA rules). This makes the delay in a draw even more impactful for the USL League Two club.
Pfeifer and the club have had little time to see what players will be available for the match.
“So yeah, we're going to be using some college guys, and like I said, that adds to the complication because, you know, they're there,” Pfeifer stated. “Some of them are on spring break, they're with their schools so getting them to Vermont a few days before so that we can train and get prepared just adds a different sort of challenge. We do have some players that are guys that are sort of professional hopefuls that have used up their college eligibility that are available. Those were the easy ones to be honest. Those guys that want to continue to play that have maybe been in pre-seasons with USL championship or USL 1 clubs that maybe didn't get signed. Those are some of the players that are also available to us. So putting together an Open Cup roster has been a little bit different, just given kind of where some players are at with their colleges or guys that were on trial with different clubs that maybe didn't get signed and now they're available. It's all had to kind of come together in the last couple of weeks.”
No matter the result, it will be a historic night for Vermont. For a club that continues to make an impact on and off the pitch, the Green’s debut in the Open Cup will be yet another chapter in the club’s already impressive existence.
Win or lose, it will be the biggest party that the Cup has ever seen.
“We're looking forward to Vermonters coming out and enjoying whatever elements are provided that day and that was one of the things the founders of the club said from day one is they want to throw 10 parties a year. Well, you know, this year we'll be able to throw 11,” Pfeifer stated.