Region/state roundup: Vermont Green FC stuns top-seeded Lionsbridge at CNU in USL League Two playoffs' first round

In its debut year, Vermont Green FC has qualified for the playoffs.

After finishing the regular season on a three-game win streak, the Green earned a wildcard spot in the USL League Two postseason, which begins on Friday.

In the kickoff circular, Vermont will face top-seeded Lionsbridge FC at its stadium in Newport News, Virginia. Named USL League Two Franchise of the Year in 2019, Lionsbridge finished its season with 12 wins and 2 ties.

"Lionsbridge is a really practiced, well-run club," said Vermont Green Caput Coach Adam Pfeifer. "It'll be a straight game considering the field is pretty narrow and that'due south the mode they play. So, that'll be a lilliputian fleck different for united states."

The 32-team USL League Two playoff is broken into four groups of eight teams. If Vermont beats Lionsbridge, it would face either the Long Island Crude Riders or Ocean Urban center Nor'easters on Sunday. The five-circular playoff concludes with a terminal on August half dozen.

"We believe in our game plan, our system," said Diba Nwegbo, the team's top goalscorer. "And most importantly, we believe in each other."

'Information technology was proficient to beat one of the top teams in the league'

Vermont finished tertiary in the Northeast Division backside Seacoast United and the Western Mass Pioneers, who earned automatic qualification into playoffs. The Light-green played its final regular-season game on Sunday night against the Pioneers, winning 1–0.

"It was good to beat out one of the summit teams in the league, and a team that was the defending (division) champion from final twelvemonth," Pfeifer said.

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The Green scored the lone goal of the game in the 45th minute when winger Nwegbo'due south try from the right sideline floated into the left corner of the net. He immediately turned to the sell-out crowd of 2,500 fans at the University of Vermont'south Virtue Field, arms raised in celebration.

"It was incredible," said Nwegbo, who leads the Green with nine goals this season. "Goosebumps, chills. I tin can't fifty-fifty put words to it."

Heading into the second half with a 1-0 advantage, Vermont organized a strong defensive beat out, preventing Western Mass from finding an offensive rhythm. It was a unlike approach than usual for the Green, who finished get-go in the Northeast Partition in goals scored (38).

"The coach set forward a game plan that nosotros believed in," Nwegbo said. "We had lots of faith in each other and it all paid off."

The Green finishes its regular season with a 9–4–1 tape (28 points) and a +24 goal differential, which is tied for first in the Northeast Sectionalisation.

"We had a belief in the team from the beginning of the yr and we idea we'd have an opportunity to potentially be in this position," Pfeifer said. "Merely at present that it's happened, it'south pretty special."

Source: https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/sports/2022/07/18/vermont-green-soccer-debut-season-qualify-usl-league-playoffs/65376420007/

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