Ballard FC Fall in the National Final, lose 2-1 to the Vermont Green

The 2025 season came to a close in heartbreaking fashion as a stoppage time winner for the Green ended Ballard FC’s chances at a second National Title in just three seasons.

Many hours before kickoff, the tension was already building at Virtue Field as the matchday atmosphere slowly came to life for one of the biggest matches in USL League Two history. Two clubs that both started just four years ago, and are already giants of the league faced off for the first time in the National Final. The kings of the Pacific Northwest travelled from one coast to the other to take on the newly crowned champions from the Atlantic Northeast. Saturday’s match was years in the making, and it lived up to the billing.

With tickets selling out in seconds, the Green faithful channelled their inner “Cameron Crazies” and camped out early in the morning to claim the best viewing spots outside the gates. At kickoff, there were an estimated 5,000 fans in attendance.

The Green truly brought out all the stops. Ahead of the match, a military flyover was then followed by a towering “Berniebeu” tifo, a name that combines Real Madrid’s famous Bernabeu and the name of Vermont Senator, Bernie Sanders.

Then after nearly ten minutes of WWE style introductions for the starting lineup from the Green’s public address announcer, the match finally kicked off.

Right away, the action began with Khai Brisco setting the tone with an early foul at midfield against the Green’s Ian Abbey. Brisco and Abbey would be a consistent battle all match.

The first chance came in the ninth minute as Stockton Short was forced to make a diving stop. Nine minutes later, Ballard FC got their first big opportunity. Richie Aman found Joe Dale at the top of the box, but his shot went over the bar.

In the 23rd minute, the crowd erupted in celebration as they thought Vermont had taken the lead, however the goal was ultimately ruled out for offsides as Abbey could not quite hold his run.

A few moments later, Vermont were inches away from giving up a penalty kick. Luke Hammond’s cross was handled by Victor Akoum and although he was standing with his feet in the box, center referee Mario Maric judged his hand to be just outside the box and awarded a free kick. The ensuing free kick from Hammond was just too strong as it narrowly flew over the heads of Christian Engmann and Charlie Kosakoff.

Then in the 38th minute it looked the opener would finally come for the visitors with a flurry of shots in the box. The first from Dale was saved by Vermont goalkeeper Niklas Herceg but then two more were cleared off the line by the Green defenders, including a Sean Sent volley that looked to many as if it had crossed the line before Moussa Ndiaye blocked it.

The two teams would go into halftime scoreless but with both sides nearly breaking the deadlock.

Once the second half started, the deadlock would not hold for long. In the 47th minute, Abbey got in behind the Ballard backline, and as he went to shoot he lost his footing and fell. Despite minimal contact from Brisco on Abbey’s shoulder and none from center-back Abeselom Zemenfes, Mario Maric chose this time to point to the spot, calling the foul on Zemenfes.

On the ensuing penalty, Julien Le Bourdoulous calmly placed it into the bottom left corner with the ball just kissing off of the post as it nestled into the back of the net.

After the Green scored the opener, they continued to apply pressure on the Ballard defense, however Stockton Short stood quite tall to keep them at bay.

Then the match turned on its head when head coach James Riley made his first substitutions at the hour mark. Omar Grey replaced Brisco, Andre Philibbosian came in for Sean Sent, and Dale was exchanged for Omar Yehya.

Just two minutes later, Grey found Yehya down the right flank and he quickly blew past Akoum and fired an inch-perfect cross to Kosakoff who headed home the equalizer and his fifth goal of the USL League Two playoffs.

After the equalizer, the tide turned and it looked as if Ballard FC would find the winner as they pinned Vermont backwards. However as the clock ticked on and legs began to tire, the match looked set for extra time. In the 85th minute, Luke Hammond went down with a cramp, and both teams took an impromptu water break.

After the break, the match would change once more and the hosts were on top once again with the visitors holding on and looking to force an extra 30 minutes of play.

But as stoppage time began, the dam finally broke. A Zach Zengue cross sent into the box in the 91st minute found Maxi Kissel at the back post who bundled the ball into the back of the net to regain the lead.

Kissel, who scored the match-winning goal in extra time for the University of Vermont’s NCAA championship less than a year ago, scored his second title-winning goal for the state of Vermont on Saturday.

After Kissel’s goal, Ballard tried for a late equalizer, emptying their bench on making their final four substitutions as Nii Engmann, Zach Ramsey, Davis Mungomba, and Isaac Ketcham came on for Hammond, Zemenfes, Rafi Otero, and Beto Apolinar.

And although some half chances were creating in the eight minutes of stoppage time, Maric blew the final whistle before Ballard could find an equalizer.

Ballard FC had lost the National Championship in a match with many parallels to their National Title victory in 2023. A 2-1 final score in which the winner was scored in stoppage time, but this time Ballard found themselves on the losing end of the fairytale ending as the Green won the title on August 2nd, 8/02, the unofficial day celebrating the state and its area code (802).

Despite the heartbreak, the Ballard boys kept their heads high, thanking the traveling supporters who flew across the country to see them. And as they stood there applauding, they got some applause of their own as the Green fans were gracious in victory, clapping for the visitors and thanking them for coming.

As Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” bellowed across the ground at Virtue Field, the Ballard players and staff accepted their second place medals and lifted their runners-up plate, before looking on as Vermont lifted the grand prize.

On nights like these, when two great clubs face off, there is always a winner and a loser. Unfortunately this year, Ballard FC returned home disappointed, but still filled with an overwhelming sense of pride and gratitude.

Fans can read the letter from the club, expressing the many emotions currently felt.

MATCH DETAILS 

FULLTIME: Ballard FC 1 – 2 Vermont Green FC

Goals: Kosakoff (62′) 

Assists: Yehya (62′)

Starting XI: Short, Hammond, C. Engmann, Zemenfes, Brisco, Apolinar, Sent, Otero, Aman, Dale, Kosakoff 

Substitutes: Apolinar, Yehya, Philibossian, Ramsey, Ketcham, Mungomba, N. Engmann, Cruz, Lanphier

WHAT’S NEXT? 

Ballard FC’s 2025 season has come to and end. However, most of the roster has now returned to their respective NCAA programs where fans can support them this fall.

Written by Max Dresbach

GALLERY