# Vermont Green FC

Vermont Green Football Club is an American soccer team based in Burlington, Vermont that began play in USL League Two in the 2022 season. The club mission is centered on environmental justice with the goal of becoming a net zero soccer club. They are also a member of One Percent for the Planet, donating 1% of the club's annual revenues to approved environmental partners. VGFC's environmental mission has drawn coverage from BBC Sport, The Guardian, and the Men in Blazers podcast.

## History

Prior to the Green, the Burlington, Vermont area was home to USL League Two club, Vermont Voltage, which played from 1997 until 2014.
The club was officially announced as USL League Two's newest team on October 12, 2021. One of the club's co-founders is Matthew Wolff, a graphic designer known for his work on association football logos and jerseys. Wolff designed Vermont Green FC's logo, which was unveiled in February 2022.
The club played its first match on May 16, 2022, defeating Boston City FC 4–0. Norwegian Eythor Bjorgolfsson scored their first goal on a penalty late in the first half. On May 28, 2022, Vermont Green FC won in their home opener, in front of a crowd of 1,001 people. Portuguese midfielder Rodrigo Vaza scored his first goal for the club and the first home VGFC goal in history. On July 17, 2022, the Green defeated Western Mass Pioneers 1–0 in front of a capacity crowd of 2,500 to clinch a playoff spot in their first season of play. After upsetting hosts Lionsbridge FC in the opening round, VGFC were eliminated by eventual national runner up Long Island Roughriders.
Interest in Vermont Green continued to grow in the leadup to their second season. In the spring of 2023, it was announced they had sold out of season tickets for the upcoming season with a total 1,250 sold. Five of the team's seven home league matches were sellouts. On the field, the Green won ten matches and finish 3rd in USL League Two's Northeast Division. The Green were eliminated from USL League Two playoff contention after a 1–1 draw at Pathfinder FC in their penultimate match, ultimately finishing two points behind Western Mass Pioneers for the final playoff spot. In addition to their league schedule, the team also played friendlies against CS Mont-Royal Outremont of Ligue1 Quebec, Kingston Stockade of the National Premier Soccer League, and local side Juba Star FC. After the season, the Green were recognized as the 2023 USL League Two Organization of the Year, chosen from the league’s 122 clubs across the US and Canada.
On December 11, 2023, it was announced that Vermont Green qualified for the U.S. Open Cup for the first time. Vermont Green won the first round match against USL League One team Lexington SC 4-3. In round two, VGFC hosted again. Despite leading early on a goal by Israeli forward Yaniv Bazini, they were eventually defeated 2-1 by MLS Next Pro side Carolina Core FC in front of sellout crowd.
In 2024, it was announced that the club would begin an annual match against the reigning champion of the Canadian Ligue1 Québec, to be known as the Maple Cup. In May, the club announced they would form a women's team. Coached by former NWSL and United States women’s national soccer team star Sam Mewis, they hosted a friendly match against Ligue1 Québec side FC Laval on June 22, 2024 as a preview to the Maple Cup, winning the match on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw in regulation.
On July 13, 2024, Vermont Green clinched its second ever postseason berth after coming from behind in the second half to beat Western Mass Pioneers 3-1 in an away game. They finished the regular season with a 9-2-2 record, good enough for 3rd place in the Northeast Division.

## Stadium

The club plays their home matches at Virtue Field on the campus of the University of Vermont. The club's founders have stated that their ultimate goal is to build their own dedicated stadium at some point in the future.

## Players

    As of July 2, 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 2 | DF | CAN | Nathan Simeon |
| 3 | DF | USA | Lucas Windschauer |
| 4 | MF | AUS | Sam Layton |
| 5 | MF | SEN | Moussa Ndiaye |
| 6 | MF | CAN | Daniel Pacella |
| 7 | FW | USA | Xavi O'Neil |
| 8 | FW | HUN | Jacob Labovitz |
| 10 | MF | GHA | Ernest Bawa |
| 11 | MF | VEN | Carlos Zambrano |
| 12 | MF | CRC | Gerardo Castillo |
| 13 | GK | ESP | Lute Lillo |
| 15 | MF | CRC | Andrey 'Gato' Salmeron |
| 16 | MF | USA | Jackson Castro |
| 17 | MF | USA | Ryan Combe |
| 18 | FW | ISR | Yaniv Bazini |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 19 | MF | USA | Zachary Zengue |
| 20 | MF | IRL | Pearse O'Brien |
| 21 | MF | USA | Theo Drennan |
| 22 | MF | POR | Rodrigo Vaza |
| 24 | DF | POR | Bernardo Prego |
| 26 | MF | LBY | Ayoub Lajhar |
| 27 | DF | USA | Reid Fisher |
| 29 | DF | GER | Sebastian Gebhart |
| 30 | GK | USA | Jaheim Wickham |
| 32 | MF | USA | Aidan Farwell |
| 34 | MF | GHA | Mohammed Ibrahim |
| 44 | DF | USA | Gabe Threadgold |
| 55 | DF | NOR | Sjur Drechsler |
| 64 | MF | CIV | Yann Toualy |
| 70 | MF | SOM | Siad Haji |
| 77 | DF | GER | Nick Lockermann |

### Technical staff

* Adam Pfeifer – Sporting Director
* Chris Taylor – Head Coach
* Lee Williamson – Assistant Coach
* Brad Agoos - Assistant Coach
* Kate Harney – Athletic Trainer
* Sam Mewis – Women's team coach

### Notable former players

* Reid Fisher - 2024
* Francesco Montali - 2024
* Nate Jones – 2023
* Giorgio Probo – 2023
* Gevork Diarbian – 2023
* Diba Nwegbo – 2022
* Eythor Bjørgolfsson – 2022
* Owen O'Malley – 2022
* Nate Silveira – 2022

## Year by year

| Year | Level | League | Reg. season | Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | Average attendance |
| 2022 | 4 | USL 2 | 3rd, Northeast | Conference Semifinals | Not eligible | 1,405 |
| 2023 | 4 | USL 2 | 3rd, Northeast | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2,234 |
| 2024 | 4 | USL 2 | 3rd, Northeast | Conference Semifinals | 2nd round | 2,431 |