(BURLINGTON) “Our maple syrup is better than yours!” the Green Mountain Bhoys chanted Wednesday night in Burlington during the Maple Cup game between the Vermont Green and CS Saint-Laurent.
An arrogant assertion from the Greens fans, no doubt. What do the Quebec players who wore the American team's jersey think?
That's because after winning the friendly by a convincing 5-0 scoreline, the Green Bears not only perpetuated the local tradition of taking a good sip of maple syrup flowing from a small container, but also turned the cup into a sweetener for your palate.
Photo by Jessica Baker, courtesy of Fairmont Green Club
A green player pours himself a sip of maple syrup after his team wins.
“He stays in Quebec!” Nathan Simeon, who arrived in Vermont for this summer’s 2024 season after two years in San Francisco, told us. “Even if I play here, Quebec will always have the best maple syrup for me.”
Impact Academy graduate Daniel Basila is more cautious. “They’re both really good,” agrees the Green defensive midfielder. “But when you win something, it tastes even better.”
The match was played in glorious sunshine and in front of 2,500 happy fans. Virtue Field at the University of Vermont (UVM) was packed. Full houses are the norm for the Green, but they are far from the norm in USL2, essentially the third American division, where the team usually plays.
Photo by Jessica Baker, courtesy of Fairmont Green Club
There was a packed house of 2,500 for Wednesday's meeting between Vermont Green and CS St. Laurent.
“It was a great evening,” said Patrick Inforno, one of the club’s three founders, on the pitch after the game. The sun had stopped shining, it was windy and a bit cold. But the young fans were still on the pitch, all looking for autographs from these semi-professional players who are the pride of a country that is, on a sporting level, quite secretive.
“Apart from the result, it happened exactly what we wanted,” Inforno continues. “A full house and people enjoying the game. There was some intensity in the cup game, but it was friendly too.”
This was the first edition of the Maple Cup, but the goal is to make it an annual event against the previous year’s Ligue 1 champion. That was the case on Wednesday, with Saint-Laurent winning the Quebec circuit’s top honours in 2023. Already, there’s talk of making it a bigger event next year, perhaps bringing a second match to Quebec.
After “pride” and “disappointment”
The score was tough but it reflected the pace of the game. Despite some interesting Montreal penetration, Vermont had the upper hand. All five goals came from Xavi O'Neal (9H Penalty kicks, 54H) by Jacob Labovitz (25H43H) and Yanis Pazzini (73HBaqubah).
Photo by Jessica Baker, courtesy of Fairmont Green Club
Jacob Labovitz, front, right
The loss of four of Saint Laurent's best players in recent weeks has clearly had an impact on the quality of play on the pitch. Loïc Kwemi, Safwane Mlah (Valour FC) and Jefferson Alphonse (Halifax Wanderers) have all found work in the Canadian Premier League, while striker Yann Toualy… agreed with Green earlier this month.
In the second goal for Labovitz, it was Yan Tolley who made the assist. Al-Kebe did not celebrate in front of his former club.. and this did not prevent him from chasing his goal throughout the match!
“I tried not to celebrate too much, not to show my joy too much, out of respect,” admitted Touali, one of the Greens' best players on Wednesday. “Saint Laurent means a lot to me. Besides, the club is in a bad situation. It hurts me a little to see it like this. I only wish good things for this club.”
Photo by Jean-François Teotonio, Press
Ian Tully
For coach Nicolas Rezaghi, “there are no excuses for this disappointing performance.” His club woke up many people when they beat Halifax in the Canadian Championship, which set up a quarter-final against Toronto FC last May.
“At the Canadian Championships, we made our province proud,” he recalls. “I was very, very disappointed today.”
Al-Razzaqi agrees that the club's desire to take its players to the next level in order to reach professional levels is a “double-edged sword”.
“We always wanted this. We have a lot of good players. You have to find the chemistry that works. Loïc has been our reference for two and a half years. Safwan was the best player in the league last year. It takes adjustment.”
Rezaghi's counterpart on Green's team, Adam Pfeiffer, had nothing but kind words for Saint Laurent.
“We didn’t want the trophy to end up on the other side of the border,” he assured us in front of our microphone and some local media cameras. “It was part of the conversation this week. We know what Saint Laurent can do, the quality of players they have. We’ve only seen the players who signed professional contracts this week. It’s a great club. We’re happy to be able to be part of it.” [le terrain]. »
“Have you had any maple syrup, too, Adam?”
– Yes, it was excellent!
– Which is better ?
– no comment. “
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