TAMPA, Fla. - The stage is set for the 2025 USL League Two Final presented by VensureHR where Vermont Green FC will host Ballard FC. 

The two teams showcase some of the best talent in League Two and are gearing up to battle it out on the brightest stage. 

In its 30th season, League Two continued to grow on and off the pitch, welcoming over 30 new clubs into the ranks and engaging new fans across the country. This season saw ultra-competitive races for playoff spots and division titles; six playoff spots and seven division championships were decided on the final weekend. 

Throughout the year, Vermont and Ballard were always in the conversation as top teams with championship potential. Both clubs navigated the highs and lows of the regular season and dramatic nature of knockout soccer to reach the final. The matchup sets up a thrilling contest for Sunday night, pitting two teams against each other who both have the collective skill to dominate possession, the offensive talent to execute counterattacks, and the defensive ability to compete with any team in the country.  

Since its founding in 2022, Vermont has been a competitive club with high-level aspirations. What’s kept them back from making a deep playoff run until this year was playing in the Northeast Division where two other teams with perennial championship aspirations also play – the Western Mass Pioneers and the 2024 League Two Champions Seacoast United Phantoms. 

“Probably one of our best teams was the year we didn’t make playoffs,” said Vermont Green Head Coach Chris Taylor, who previously served as an assistant coach for the club since 2022. 

Knowing the caliber of competition the Green would face in the regular season alone, Taylor maintained a straightforward objective for the season. 

“My only goal was I wanted to win the Northeast Division for the club,” said Taylor. “Once we did that, I think anyone who wins the Northeast Division has a shot to win a national championship.” 

Returning for his third season with the Green, captain and midfielder Zachary Zengue felt from the jump that this team could be the one to break through. 

“We were so sharp in the first practice, I was like, ‘this team is going to be special,’” said Zengue. “Then we had our first game against Boston City, and I remember we won, and all the guys were dancing in the locker room.” 

The Green put together its best regular season to date, but when it was time for its regular season finale, an away trip to the Western Mass Pioneers, the division title was still up for grabs. Vermont only needed a draw to claim its first Northeast Division title in club history but found itself down 2-0 as the clock hit 90 minutes. 

Then magic happened. Zengue found the back of the net in the 95th minute giving Vermont life and they didn’t stop there. With seconds left, Owen O’Malley cut onto his right foot from the top of the box, sending a curled strike into the top corner and sending the players and their traveling fans into a frenzy in what’s now known as the “Miracle at Lusitano.” 

“I think those five minutes at Lusitano, they almost changed everything,” said Taylor. “If we could get a result in that situation in the 99th minute to win the division, anything is possible because that felt impossible.” 

Going into the Eastern Conference playoffs, that belief went a long way for the players who had to fight back from giving up the first goal in their first three playoff games. There was never a shortage of drama at Virtue Field as the fans stood faithfully by their club as it fought back game after game, dispatching three of the strongest teams in the Eastern Conference to win the first Eastern Conference Championship in club history. 

Riding the emotions of tense matches has been key for the Green and Zengue, who as a leader for the team has tried to help keep his teammates in the moment. 

“It’s about staying positive and just keeping everyone on the same page. When guys take a shot and they miss, telling them to keep their head up, or when they make a good tackle, celebrating the tackle,” said Zengue. 

In the National Semifinal, they faced off with Dothan United, a second-year team making a surprise run through the playoffs. The two teams took turns possessing the ball and creating chances, but the Green controlled the majority of the game. They ran into a hot goalkeeper, which helped keep the game scoreless until the penalty kicks. Vermont remained composed from the spot and got a huge save from goalkeeper Niklas Herceg to set up Owen O’Malley for a potential winning kick. O’Malley calmly slotted the ball down the middle and set off the madness at Virtue Field as the Green booked its place in the Final. 

Since its founding in 2022, Ballard has been setting the standard not just in the Western Conference but across the whole league. The 2023 League Two Champions were immensely disappointed when they lost in the Round of 32 last year and knew that 2025 there would be no change in the goal: national championship or bust. 

Ballard started the season strong, maintaining a perfect record through its first five games. Having made a name for themselves quickly in their League Two tenure, Ballard has no trouble getting their opponents excited to play against them. So as the quality of opposition rose, the matchups got tougher as teams took their shot at the champs. Three straight draws, including two where they were held scoreless, slowed down their momentum. 

Head Coach James Riley had spoken with his team all year about how it won’t be if they face adversity, but when they face adversity. 

“Even in the games we drew, we dominated the game in every statistical category. So, it was just about telling the guys to stay dedicated to the process,” said Riley, who’s in his second year as Ballard’s head coach. “We’ll tweak a few things here and there, but everything that we’ve built a foundation on is working.” 

Ballard came roaring back in their next game with an 11-0 victory, setting off a run of results that saw it win the Northwest Division title for the third year in a row. But adversity would creep in again as Ballard lost its final two regular season games.  

“[Playing us] is every team’s biggest game of the season, whether it’s home or away, so that’s something we have to embody,” said Riley. 

With results having gone against them, Ballard remained confident heading into its playoff opener but knew finding goals early would be crucial. 

“We were a team on a mission coming off two losses,” said Ballard captain and defender Christian Engmann. “The year before we had a first round upset when we thought we had the talent to go far. With the intensity and the focus we brought, I feel bad for [Colorado Storm] because we came out absolutely firing. 

The matchups didn’t get any easier after a 6-0 win in the Round of 32. Ballard squared off with Snohomish United next, a local rival who defeated them just eight days prior. Engmann said that the emotions were high for the team’s third meeting with Snohomish, knowing how tight the previous meetings had been. The match lived up to the hype but ended with Ballard winning and getting a huge monkey off its back. 

“The highest emotions we’ve had were probably [vs.] Colorado, Snohomish, and Ventura [County Fusion] because as a team, we felt that if we didn’t make it to the national championship, it was a bust.” 

Ballard saw familiar opponents in the Western Conference Final and National Semifinal, meeting Ventura and Flint City Bucks for the third and second time respectively in its young postseason history. They were two close games that saw Ballard trail for the first time in the postseason, but the team stuck to its style and came out on top, booking its spot in its second League Two Final in three years.

Both teams will spend their time this week scouting their opponents, fine tuning their systems, and resting up for the biggest game of the year. 

Both Riley and Taylor are complimentary of the other’s teams knowing that neither got this far by chance. 

“We know they’re undefeated and they’ve come from behind to win games. We know they have some big-time players and they have a fantastic pedigree,” said Riley about Vermont. “We’ll be deep in the video scout and analysis and develop a game plan that will put us in a good spot to get a result and turn it over to express themselves on Saturday. [We want them] to have fun, enjoy the moment, be calm in the chaos, manage emotions and be lifted by the crowd.” 

“They look like a really good team. We’re really impressed with their buildup play, their dedication to possession play and the way they move the ball is really nice to watch,” said Taylor about Ballard. “We’re going to have to be at our very best. We’re going to have to be disciplined defensively and look after the ball really well. In these types of games, it’s about moments and who executes in the biggest moments.” 

The players are relishing the opportunity to spend another week together as they prepare to battle alongside one another for a national championship. 

“We’re going to focus on preparing and enjoying the moment, not thinking too far ahead and not thinking too much about the past,” said Zengue. “We’re going to enjoy training together this last week because we know we’ve created something special here, so we want to finish a job and that’s what we’re going to do.” 

“Everything that happens on Saturday will be a summary of the work that we put in all summer,” said Engmann. “If we focus on ourselves and play the brand [of soccer] that we play, we feel this game is about us.”