There’s always a reason to celebrate when the Vermont soccer community comes together, and it was evident on Sunday night as Vermont Green FC hosted community partners Juba Star FC in a friendly match at Virtue Field. In the heavy rain, the Green would come away victorious with a 4-1 scoreline, but the result was secondary to the atmosphere and spirit of collaboration that permeated the bleachers and pitch.
The match was an even affair throughout the majority of the first half, while the Green held the majority of the possession, Juba Star were able to stifle all of the chances on goal. An organized and experienced group of local standouts did well to withstand the Green advance and attempt to score on the counters. In the 45th minute, the patience of the Somali Bantu Community Association club would pay off, as an electric run from Emmanuel Omar saw him beat the Green defense and lift the ball over the head of Stephani. The joyous celebration was impossible to miss, and Juba would enter the half leading by a goal.
After the break, however, the class of the Green would shine through as goals from Chris Meyers, Nathan Messer, Denis Krioutchenkov, and Bilal Kamal would all come in the length of ten minutes.
The match ended 4-1, and the good vibes immediately ensued as Vermont Maple Men of the Match Nathan Messer and Jack Cloherty for the Green, and Emmanuel Omar for Juba Star FC had their drink of syrup in front of the fans, who were treated to a night of good football between good friends.
The ticket revenue from the match will be split between the two clubs, as the joint mission to expand access to soccer in Vermont remains at the forefront of the partnership. The season-long collection of used soccer shoes were also given to the club. You can still donate at the final match next Sunday.
The Vermont Green FC regular season finale is next Sunday, 7pm at Virtue Field. The boys will push to finish the season strong with hopes of a playoff berth not yet lost. No matter what, let’s pack Virtue Field to support our team and celebrate all we accomplished together during the 2023 season. See you soon, Vermont!
