BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont Green have certainly captured the hearts of many Vermonters since the club was started back in 2021. Now, many games are nearly sold out or close to it with people clamoring to see the team play.
Reporter Katharine Huntley: Why do you like Vermont Green?
Thomas Perrault, 8: Because I think they are a good team.
Fans of all ages are excited for Vermont Green to be back again this summer. Since the team’s inception, the following has grown and the home opener over the weekend was a sell-out. The most hardcore fans call themselves the Green Mountain Boys. They hope it’s a successful year.
“This year, we’re trying to win the division. We’ve been up there really highly for the past couple of years, but we’re really making a crack at it this year. We want to win,” said Tyson Foster, a fan.
Other fans like Alyson Beckwith love soccer. She supports the team because her high school-age son trains with the team on game days. She says it’s great to have higher-level competition here in the state.
“In order to compete at a high level, you had to leave Vermont, but I think that’s changing. And so I think the fans bring the kids and the kids’ enthusiasm for the players, and it’s just as kind of a growing phenomenon,” Beckwith said.
Plus she says the values of the team resonate with fans.
“I just think it brings a community together,” she said. “I think so many people living in Vermont have shared interests in the environment, of course, and helping the community and the love of the sport. It’s grown so much.”
Overall, soccer fever is happening here, and young Thomas Perrault says everyone should watch.
“It would be a good game and the surprises of who wins or loses,” he said.
Fans at Virtue Field Tuesday night said they were ready for the game and whatever the weather brought.