Vermont Green Transforms Burlington Into America's Ultimate Soccer Powerhouse: 'We Did It Again'
With supporters climbing ladders to peer over barriers and others scattered across and surrounding the field, Vermont Green FC ensured this would become a memorable evening in American soccer lore.
On a beautiful summer night in Burlington, Vermont, the Green triumphed over Seattle's Ballard FC 2–1 to capture the USL League Two championship, America's fourth-tier soccer division. However, no player etched his name deeper into history than Maximillian Kissel.
The previous time a championship match took place at Virtue Field, Kissel netted the decisive goal for the University of Vermont Catamounts to claim the NCAA national title as underdogs against Marshall University.
And on Saturday evening, he repeated the feat, finding the net during second-half injury time to deliver the Green a historic victory on the identical surface.
"We've demonstrated that with the Green, rallying back multiple times, and ultimately it's simply incredible," Kissel shared with the Burlington Free Press following the contest. "I struggle to put it into words...I understood what needed to be done—and I'm deeply grateful that I accomplished it."
"We achieved it once more."
A stark contrast to the spotlight of Major League Soccer, Vermont Green represents one of American soccer's most distinctive narratives. And it's all unfolding on a modest college field in Burlington, featuring a 2,000-capacity stand that couldn't accommodate the estimated 3,000 additional fans who surrounded the venue for the championship.
Vermont Green is a community-centered amateur organization established in 2022, embodying the state's outdoor culture while championing environmental justice and other progressive social movements.
These off-field principles combined with their on-field performance have created a unique identity unmatched throughout American soccer's expansive terrain. This has even garnered notable backing from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, who was honored with a supporter banner before the final, and indie folk artist Noah Kahan.
Kissel, however, originates from far beyond Vermont's borders. Born in Wiesbaden, Germany, he joined the Catamounts in 2024 and emerged as one of their standout performers before Green manager Chris Taylor encouraged him to join the USL team for the summer season.
"I never imagined it would materialize so perfectly," Taylor remarked. "That's precisely why you need strikers like him—they deliver victories when it matters."
The decisive goal wasn't the sole stirring moment on the field Saturday evening, however. Vermont's French-born midfielder, Julien Le Bourdoulous, broke the deadlock in the 50th minute from the penalty mark and produced a folding chair to celebrate before the supporters, before Ballard equalized the contest.
Nevertheless, it was Kissel's late strike that will be most fondly remembered, as the instant the Green reached their peak––and enjoyed another field-storming celebration.
"This represents the pinnacle of four years of dedication, from ownership to players to supporters," Mike Popovich, a member of the fan group Green Mountain Bhoys told Vermont Public. "They accomplished this for us. These players out there did this for us. It's simply the most incredible thing I've ever witnessed here in Vermont."