Match Report: Vermont Green FC 7-0 AC Connecticut

Vermont Green FC was firing on all cylinders on Saturday night as the Boys in Green put seven goals past the visiting AC Connecticut, the biggest win of the season thus far. A flurry of goals—including hat-trick from substitute—Yaniv Bazini kept the Virtue Field faithful on their feet as the Green extended their unbeaten streak to five games.

It was a strange start to the evening, as the AC Connecticut team bus broke down while heading north and the team was several hours late to the stadium. The kickoff, originally scheduled for 6:00pm was delayed over 80 minutes. The Virtue Field faithful waited patiently, the 2,500 fans hung out in the concourse and the stands, enjoying food trucks, tabling partners, and impromptu entertainment from the pitch. When the Connecticut side did arrive, they were greeted with a standing ovation.

When the match finally started, the Green spent the first five minutes getting a feel for the game, and there were some moments of danger from the visitors, specifically from former Green man Sam McCann.

In the 7th minute, the breakthrough came. Jacob Labovitz sparked the first goal, as his breaking run ended with a shot across the face of goal that struck the far post and fell right into the path of a crashing Xavi O’Neil who smashed the ball home from close range. It was O’Neil’s first goal for Vermont. Just ten minutes later, the creator became the scorer as Labovitz buried his third goal of the season on a beautiful ball from Zach Zengue. 2-0 to the Green.

The half would end with a 2-0 lead.

At the start of the second half, Yaniv Bazini replaced an injured Jacob Labovitz at center forward, and his impact was immediately felt. In the 54th minute, Bazini latched onto a through ball from Xavi O’Neil and with an acrobatic finish made it 3-0 for the Green. The goal was his tenth for the club, breaking the club record held by Diba Nwegbo. The big striker didn’t want to just break the record, he wanted to smash it. He scored again in the 67th minute off a perfect freekick from Daniel Pacella, and the floodgates began to open.

In the 81st minute, Carlos Zambrano pounced on a Connecticut miscommunication, burying the Green’s sixth goal of the night, his first for the club. The young Venezuelan rewarded the fans with an acrobatic backflip in celebration.

Yaniv Bazini, wanting to add some padding to whoever might chase his new record, completed his hat-trick in the 88th minute on a gorgeous pass from substitute Sam Layton.

As if 6-0 wasn’t enough, one more Virtue Field mainstay needed to tie a bow on the night, as Ryan Combe blasted a long range effort off the crossbar and in. It was a thunderous strike and one the spectators won’t soon forget. 7-0 to the Boys in Green.

Vermont Green FC will take on Juba Star FC on Wednesday in a community friendly presented by Ben & Jerry’s. Get your tickets at tickets.vermontgreenfc.com.

Scoring Summary

VGFC: Xavi O’Neil – 7′, Jacob Labovitz – 17′ (assist from Zach Zengue), Yaniv Bazini – 54′ (assist from Xavi O’Neil), Yaniv Bazini – 67′ (assist from Daniel Pacella), Carlos Zambrano – 81′, Yaniv Bazini – 88′ (assist from Sam Layton), Ryan Combe – 89′ (assist from Yaniv Bazini).