Victorious Vermont: The Green Defeat Ballard and Become USL 2 Champions
Maximilian Kissel scored the winner in added time to finish off Vermont’s magical campaign in magical style
After a 2-1 victory over Ballard FC Saturday night, Vermont Green FC were crowned USL 2 champions for the first time in the club’s short but storied history.
The atmosphere at Virtue Field for Saturday’s final was probably unlike anything the state of Vermont has seen before. Over 5,000 fans packed in and around the stadium, which has an official capacity of only 2,500. Some fans lined up outside the stadium as early as 8 am in order to secure their spot for the 7 pm kickoff.
The Green Mountain Bhoys were up for the occasion from start to finish, displaying an awesome “Berniebéu” tifo right before kickoff and relentlessly pushing their boys in green on through the full ninety in full voice.
The first half was an even fought contest that featured some extremely high quality soccer on display. Both sides had some pretty amazing chances to break the deadlock.
In the 23rd minute, Vermont’s Arnaud Tattevin finished off a scrappy sequence right in front of goal by passing the ball into the net, only to be deemed offside seconds later.
Ballard’s best chance of the half came in a similar position right in front of goal. Sean Sent’s acrobatic attempt beat Vermont goalkeeper Niklas Herceg, but was cleared off the line by Vermont Captain and 2025 USL 2 Defender of the Year Moussa Ndiaye.
After a scoreless first half, Vermont Head Coach Chris Taylor made an uncharacteristically early substitution, subbing off forward Arnaud Tattevin. In his replacement, Taylor brought on the University of Vermont’s own Maximilian Kissel, a change that would later have a massive impact.
Five minutes into the second half, the game suddenly swung in Vermont’s favor when Ian Abbey was nudged down from behind inside the box, winning a penalty kick for his side. The Frenchman Julian Le Bourdoulous stepped up in a pivotal moment in the final, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way and giving Vermont Green a massive 1-0 lead on home soil.
Ballard knew they needed to change things up in order to work their way back into a game that Vermont now had control of. In response to going down a goal, Ballard Head Coach James Riley made a triple change in the 60th minute, brining on Andre Philibbosian, Omar Grey, and Omar Yehya. Mere moments later, that change would prove to pay off.
With his first touch of the match, substitute Omar Yehya whipped in a perfect first-time cross to Charlie Kosakoff, who masterfully flicked the ball past Herceg in the 62nd minute to equalize the game. All of a sudden, it was back to square one, with the game tied at one goal apiece.
Five minutes later, Vermont made a change of its own, bringing on David Ajagbe and Gabriel Fernandez. Ajagbe made an immediate impact, reenergizing the Vermont attack and testing Ballard goalkeeper Stockton Short with a few shots of his own.
As the 90th-minute mark approached, Vermont began to regain control of the game. Short was forced into some solid saves as the Vermonters knocked on the door. Yet, as time ticked away and the teams remained scoreless, the possibility of extra time seemed more and more likely.
But then, in the first few seconds of added time, something special happened. Le Bourdoulous whipped in a corner kick high and away to the far tip of the box. There, Zachary Zengue picked up the ball and curled in a low cross. The Ballard defenders failed to get a touch on it, letting it get all the way through to Maximilian Kissel, who tapped home the championship-winning goal.
The feeling was all too familiar for the German-born forward, who scored the winning goal in the NCAA championship back in December for the University of Vermont. For the second time in a little over seven months, Kissel was the hero of Vermont soccer, securing a title for the newly established soccer state.
It was the perfect ending to a perfect season for the Green, who are now making national headlines. The club continues to sore above and beyond the expectations of fourth division American soccer, inspiring a country where soccer is on the rise. There’s no telling what the future might hold for the boys in green, whether that be a soccer-specific stadium, promotion to USL League 1, or something else. But what we do know is that Vermont Green FC are national champions.