Vermont Green FC defeated Black Rock FC 3-1 on Saturday night at a sold-out Virtue Field. Ryan Zellefrow, Zach Zengue, and David Ajagbe were the goalscorers. With the win, the Green improve to 10W-0L-2D, with two matches remaining in the regular season.
Chris Taylor made multiple changes from his starting group at Seacoast on Wednesday. The gaffer called upon Niklas Herceg to start in goal, his first start since June 17. Gabe Fernandez was at left back, Moussa Ndiaye and Brandon Marshall were the centerbacks, and returning star Bernardo Prego was at right back. Centrally, Julien Le Bourdoulous returned to the starting group alongside Diego Rived, who earned his second start in as many matches. In the attack, Ryan Zellefrow, Zach Zengue, and Mohammed Ibrahim were led by Jacob Labovitz at center forward.
The opening sequences of the match were far more back-and-forth than many previous Green matches, with the visitors showing their quality and urgency. Black Rock entered the match in 3rd place, not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, and their desire to win at Virtue Field was clear from the start.
In the 22nd minute, Zellefrow gathered the ball on the left side of the box from Ibrahim and held off a defender before firing the ball into the back of the net from close range.
The Green took a 1-0 lead into the half.
After the break, the Vermonters clearly registered the half-time instructions, coming out with a high tempo attack. In the 49th minute, Labovitz sprung a ball forward to Zengue, who finished his one-on-one with the Black Rock keeper and celebrated his moment by kissing the badge in front of 2,500 delirious supporters. 2-0 Green.
Keeping the energy high, the Green earned a corner in the 58th minute, and service from Le Bourdoulous found the flying David Ajagbe, who powerfully headed home to give Vermont a commanding 3-0 lead at the hour mark.
Black Rock FC didn’t let up despite their deficit, and found one goal of their own through Abel Ador in the 67th minute.
Chris Taylor’s substitutes David Ajagbe, Alexander Hall, Brandon Parrish, Sam McCann, and Arnaud Tattevin all made an impact in the second half of the match.
Vermont Green FC earned their 10th win of the season and are still undefeated. They now prepare for the final stretch against Albany Rush at home on Tuesday, July 8, and the season finale at historic Lusitano Stadium on Friday, July 11 against the second-place Western Mass Pioneers.
The Green need four points from the next two matches to win the division, but the Pioneers are hot on their tail. It will take a focused and committed effort to stay the course, with hopes of earning a first division title in club history.
Lineups
Vermont Green FC — Niklas Herceg, Bernardo Prego, Brandon Marshall, Moussa Ndiaye (c), Gabe Fernandez, Julien Le Bourdoulous, Diego Rived, Ryan Zellefrow, Zach Zengue, Mohammed Ibrahim, Jacob Labovitz.
Subs — Judewellin Michel, Brandon Parrish, Ask Ekeland, David Ajagbe, Owen O’Malley, Alex Hall, Gianluca Armellino, Arnaud Tattevin, Sam McCann.
Black Rock FC — Wanwi Choi, Jethro Dede, Leo Doyle, Cabot Mclaren, Atticus Ross, Andualem Chisholm, Juan O’Neill, Maxim Makar, Liam Doyle, Camilo Pereda, Abel Ador.
Subs — Daniel Williams, Andrew Coelho, Hamza Kromah, Andreas Aspris, Nicolas Bair, Tinashe Muhlauri, Benjamin Diffley.
Scoring Summary
VGFC: Ryan Zellefrow — 22’ (assist from Mohammed Ibrahim), Zach Zengue — 49′ (assist from Jacob Labovitz), David Ajagbe — 59′ (assist from Julien Le Bourdoulous).
BRFC: Abel Ador — 67′.
Maple Man of the Match: Zach Zengue
Referees: Mario Maric (R), Daniel Smolenski (AR2), Jamie Marshall (AR2), Dante Castellano (4th)
Weather: Perfect summer evening, 72°F
Attendance: 2,500+ (sold out)
Post Match Quotes
“There’s no environment like this…I definitely missed it, and I’m so happy to be back” — #27 Ryan Zellefrow
Next Home Match
It’s the final home match of the regular season! The Green will host Albany Rush on Tuesday, July 8th at Virtue Field. Tickets are sold out, but fans can watch the match live and with commentary on vermontgreenfc.com/streaming.
Credit: Patrick McCormack