Vermont Green FC suffered a hard-fought defeat Saturday night at Virtue Field, losing 1-0 narrowly to top-of-the-table Western Mass Pioneers.
It was simply not the Green’s night as they controlled large portions of the possession but couldn’t quite find the finishing product. Early chances from Nacho Lerech, Zach Zengue, and Moussa Ndiaye were all near misses in a game that could have seen the Green score several.
In the 6th minute of the match, Western Mass were able to take advantage of a weather-influenced turnover and finish cleanly. From there, the Pioneers saw themselves on the back foot, but capable in their defensive effort.
Late in the second half, a handful of agonizingly close chances were afforded to the Green, with Jake Ashford playing as an emergency striker to look for the equalizer as well as some fancy footwork from Felipe D’Agostini.
It was for no lack of effort that the final whistle blew without a goal for the Green.
“We know we were the better side for a lot of this match, but that’s the nature of football sometimes,” said Head Coach Adam Pfeifer. “What’s important now is how we respond in training this week leading into two more big matches at home. Thank you so much to the amazing fans who turned up Saturday, to be out there in those conditions is a testament to just how dedicated our community is, and we’re so grateful. We can’t wait to be back out there with you in a few days.”
Vermont Green FC have an immediate opportunity to bounce back as they return to Virtue Field on June 21 at 7:00pm for “Labor Night,” taking on Boston Bolts in USL League Two action. Get tickets at tickets.vermontgreenfc.com.
