Marco Dos Santos was persona non grata for Vermont Green FC fans for the majority of his collegiate and USL League Two career.
Dos Santos was a part of the Seacoast United Phantoms squad that won the USL League Two championship in 2024. He enjoyed going back and forth with the Green Mountain Bhoys and even coined the term "Social Media FC" to describe the Green.
But Dos Santos was a natural fit for the Green. The Vermont squad loves to utilize dominant wing play to score goals and through his time at Boston College, Dos Santos had a relationship with Vermont sporting director Adam Pfeifer.
When he realized that he had a chance to play for the Green in 2025, it was an opportunity that he didn't want to waste.
"When I had this opportunity to come play for Vermont, I was just like, it's too good of an opportunity," Dos Santos told The Blazing Musket. "It's too good of fans and a community to pass up on."
While Dos Santos and many of the other Vermont Green FC players have yet to play a professional game, the winger was one of the best players on the pitch against Portland Hearts of Pine. He faced a difficult challenge of helping to defend Portland attacker Ollie Wright.
"It was great to play against a professional team," Dos Santos said. "I thought all of us have played at a high level of college, but we haven't really tested ourselves at a professional level. I back myself against anybody."
Dos Santos completed 19 of 22 passing attempts, registered 34 touches, won two tackles, and won four of his five duels. The winger frustrated Wright and largely helped to shut him down.
He embraced the challenge of playing without the ball," head coach Chris Taylor said. "I knew he was a brilliant player; I didn't know how great he was. "He's a big character, big leader, big player. We couldn't have been happier with his performance."
Dos Santos will be returning in the summer to play in the 2026 USL League Two season. Based on his performance against Portland, he will play a crucial role in helping Vermont as it looks to win back-to-back USL League Two championships.
Soccer is called the beautiful game for a reason. It doesn't just provide beautiful displays of athleticism; the game also provides stories that seem to be good to be true. If they featured in movies, they would seem to be too on the nose.
While the stats paint a black and white picture, players can live in the gray. A player who was once the thorn in the side of a club can become a fan favorite.
Dos Santos has already added yet another captivating chapter to the club's story. Depending on his performance in the summer, his name could echo in the Green's history for years to come.
