A rainy night at historic Atwood Stadium hosted a battle between the four-time USL League Two champion and perennial US Open Cup giant-killer Flint City Bucks and the current title holders Vermont Green FC. A 2027 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup spot was on the line as the league champion earned an automatic bid, but only Flint was eligible to earn it on the night as Vermont already qualified through winning the Hank Steinbrecher Cup. In the end, it was the Vermont Green that lifted the trophy for the second straight season, winning 2-1 on the road and allowing an additional qualifier to make it through the overall table: San Francisco City FC.
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With the win, Vermont becomes the fourth team to win back-to-back USL-2 titles and the first since the Cape Cod Crusaders were repeat champions in 2002 and 2003.
Vermont came out strong, controlling the midfield and creating a multitude of chances within the match. The first real opportunity came in the 9th minute as Diego Rosas received a ball on the run along the right wing. This led to a cross that was intercepted by goalkeeper and former MLS player and returning Bucks legend Steve Clark.
Clark appeared in four seasons for the Bucks from 2006-2009, helping the club win their first of four league titles. The Mason, Mich. native played for four Major League Soccer teams (Columbus Crew, D.C. United, Houston Dynamo FC, Portland Timbers FC) before retiring in 2025.
This first chance started a trend that continued throughout the first half where VGFC would possess the ball in midfield, get it into the attacking third, and then before a real chance to score could develop, someone from the Bucks’ back line would step in and thwart the opportunity.
In the 15th minute, Rosas had another chance into the box poked away by Carles Zomeno. Then in the 19th, a cross from Nikos Clark-Tosczak found Rosas, but his shot was deflected away by a sliding Bucks defender. The ensuing corner as well as a follow-up opportunity into the box were both headed away by Ellis Jones.
The Bucks saw their first real sniff at goal in the 24th minute. A break into Vermont’s defensive end by Jack Roman and Remi Agunbiade led to Roman getting stifled at the top of the box. The clearance landed at the feet of Wes Carnevale, but his shot went wide of the net. Additional chances by Vermont Green came later in the first half, but the defensive line as well as Clark stood their ground to keep the game scoreless going into halftime.
The second half started looking much like the first, with Vermont continuing to get chances that bent, but didn’t break, Flint’s back four. Clark got more into the action in the 49th minute as a long ball from 30 yards out forced the keeper to collect near the far post. He also stepped in a little over a minute later as Xavier O’Neil received a cross from Rosas and shot low to the ground from near the top corner of the box, forcing Clark to get low and grab the effort.
Vermont’s chipping away eventually broke through in the 62nd minute. Trym Linberg intercepted a pass 25 yards from net, found Rosas along his right side, and then Rosas sent a floater toward the back post. Jones went to clear it as he had been doing all night, but instead used his left foot to tuck the ball past a helpless Clark and give the visitors the long-awaited 1-0 lead.
That lead would only last two minutes. On the ensuing possession after kickoff, the Bucks responded. A free kick by Carnevale found the head of Jones near the top of the box, where he directed it across the goal to Matthew Paiva on the right side. Paiva was able to one-time the ball with another header, this time directed into the net past flailing Green goalkeeper Seth Wilson to bring the match level at 1-1.
Vermont wouldn’t let the quick equalizer deter them. They continued to press on, and they would be rewarded for their efforts. In the 75th minute, a long ball was sent to David Ajagbe, but was sent just out of his reach and towards an on-running Clark at the top of his box. Seeing as he needed to leave the area to get to the ball first, he failed to control the first touch. Ajagbe was able to then head it forward into the box, where Clark tackled Ajagbe in the process of attempting to recover the ball. He earned a yellow card and faced a penalty kick as a result. In stepped Ryan Zellefrow to take the spot kick, where he tucked the ball inside the left post just past a diving Clark to give Vermont Green the lead for good in the 76th minute.
The Bucks, seeing their championship hopes slipping away, started to throw everything into the attack in the last ten minutes of the match. A multitude of chances were created, but all were either saved by Wilson or cleared away by the defense. Their last attempt came in the final minute of stoppage time with a free kick from midfield that didn’t find anyone, leading to a Vermont throw-in and the final whistle.
Vermont clinched their second-straight championship, and having already punched their ticket to the 2027 US Open Cup, opened the door for San Francisco City FC to qualify for the first time since 2018.
