Broadcaster Matt Monteil Loves the Vermont Green FC!
- Jon Hart
- 21 hours ago
- 7 min read
This summer, the state of Vermont is all about the Vermont Green FC (VGFC), which plays in the USL2. In short, attending a Vermont Green FC match at Virtue Field in Burlington, Vermont is a pure joy. Their stellar color commentator, Matt Monteil, took a few moments before the team's Eastern Conference Final showdown this Friday night to answer a few questions.
STADIUM JOURNEY:
For the uninformed, what is the USL2? Is it professional soccer? Semi-pro? As I understand it, it's a summer league composed of elite college players, but please educate.
MATT MONTEIL:
The USL2 league is technically a pre-professional league. It's primarily made up of the higher than average quality collegiate players in the country, but you also have some players that are no longer part of their collegiate programs but still able to play and contribute at this level. The USL2 league is also very much similar to a college ID camp. In the four years I've been covering VGFC, I've seen players recruited and signed by professional clubs nationally and internationally mid or late season, and that is in part based on their collegiate and USL2 performances. At the very least, the league is a developmental platform for collegiate players to improve and play at a similar or higher standard in the offseason than what they're used to in their respective collegiate divisions/conferences.
STADIUM JOURNEY:
So how special is it to attend a Vermont Green FC soccer game? Have you ever experienced anything like it? What can you compare it to?
MATT MONTEIL:
It's kinda surreal to stand on the other side of the field covering the match with Brian and see a sold out crowd of 2500 plus. I grew up in DC about six blocks away from RFK stadium where DC United used to play all of their home matches. I've been to hundreds of DC United matches and whilst it is one of the founding members back in mid 90s, only the lowest tier of seating ever got filled. Soccer hadn't really taken off just yet, but those who attended were all from the surrounding community in southeast DC, and it had a very close knit family feel. Everyone knew everyone more or less. That's the vibe I get with VGFC. Everyone involved in starting this club tapped into something that's been waiting to be released, and it clearly shows. There are numerous development clubs in the immediate and surrounding area such as Capital SC, Nordic, Far Post, and they all do great work with the youth from 5-18 years old. But outside of UVM men and womens soccer, there wasn't really anything in our community at a higher level. VGFC shows the youth what they can potentially achieve later on in their development as a player.
STADIUM JOURNEY:
What's unique about this year's team? What makes them go?
MATT MONTEIL: We've been blessed with some really good teams from the club's inception. I think the overall levels this season in every position has been 8 to 10s, roughly. I can't really think of a weak spot and I mean that. I think maybe something I noticed about this team from the midway point and onward was that the goals come from everywhere. Everyone contributes. When Tattevin was out injured for a while, the team collectively was able to supplement his goal contributions, and they never missed a beat. Another metric I've noticed is the technical floor is actually really high with this team. Soccer has increasingly become more and more about a player's physical attributes, and whilst this team is outrageously athletic, they have so much quality on the ball across the roster. I never fail to mention on the stream with Brian when substitutions are being made, just how much of a luxury it is that I can't see a drop off in quality for the player swap. So much credit needs to go to Adam P. and this coaching staff for their recruitment. It's also worth mentioning you can tell just how much this group of players have all bought into Chris Taylor and his staff's system and ethos of how they want to play. They exude patience in what can be frustrating stretches of a match and even when we've seen them recently go 0-2 down, they don't panic. I could be wrong, but I also think these guys just actually like each other and have formed a brotherhood. That goes a long way when things aren't working out at times.
STADIUM JOURNEY:
It's the toughest ticket in town. When were the on field seats added? Have the new amenities at Virtue gone into effect? Will new bleacher seats be added for next season?
MATT MONTEIL:
So VGFC has been selling out home matches consistently now for multiple seasons. The community's appetite is ravenous and the commitment unrelenting. The extra seating on the field was set up to further accommodate the demand, especially considering the playoffs and the traveling fans for visiting teams. I don't know much about 'new amenities' and what or when those will be added. As you know, this is UVM's property, and thus they have the final say on whether they want to expand the facility to have another whole section of seating. Considering UVM's men's soccer are national champions and VGFC is consistently selling out the venue, I would imagine the prospect of expanding has jumped a few levels up in priority.
STADIUM JOURNEY:
Discuss your playing background. What was your position? What were you like as a player? How did you get into broadcasting?
MATT MONTEIL:
Nothing noteworthy, ha ha. As I mentioned earlier, I grew up in south east DC. From as early as five years old, I was playing in what was and still is the DC Stoddart league. I primarily played as a full back both on the left or right and occasionally left or right wing. I played both sides because I had a coach from a very early age that demanded we be able to utilize both feet, and thus I kind of was all over the place. I played for my high school and bits and spurts collegiately but I actually primarily played rugby in college. I would play indoor leagues during the long winters. After college I started coaching for Capital SC year round and I started playing with their men's team for roughly a decade. What was I like as a player? I'd like to think my one quality, and it aint much, was I had an engine. I could run like a dog for 90 minutes and still have gas left in the tank. I think I've given this false perception during the broadcasts about how I like the 'blood and thunder' days of soccer and that must mean I was like that as a player. I wasn't really. I think I was very vocal, had a decent soccer brain and had overall endurance. Like I said, nothing noteworthy, but it's been a blast and I've made so many friends and valuable contacts through soccer and I couldn't be more grateful. To answer your question regarding how I got into broadcasting: It fell into my lap. To this day I still don't know who referred me, but it was someone I've played with over the years in the soccer community. The founders reached out to me one day via email and asked if I was interested. We had a long chat about soccer, our backgrounds, the vision of the club, etc. Next thing I knew, I was sitting next to a bonafide professional in Brian, with an overwhelming fear I was going to make a fool of myself to thousands of listeners. Still feel that way to this day at times, but I'd like to think I've gotten better and learned more and more about how to discuss the details and story of the match since then.
STADIUM JOURNEY:
Vermont soccer is definitely having a moment, to say the least. First the University of Vermont wins a national title and now Vermont Green FC is keeping it going. Can you even start to explain why and how this is happening?
MATT MONTEIL:
UVM seemingly has consistently been building up to that pinnacle of college soccer for the last four years. Good recruiting, consistent coaching staff and messaging and it definitely helps having someone like Bazini leading the line to add just that extra quality in front of goal. VGFC has an eerily similar timeline of growth. Knock on wood they keep going to the promised land. Whilst this is Chris Taylor's first year as manager and an entirely new staff, Adam still oversees the recruitment and works closely with the coaches to provide them what they need to take it to the next level. Putting together a succesful or title-winning team in collegiate or USL2 format when you've never won it all, takes years to build brick by brick. You don't have the national player pull yet and without consistently winning titles throughout the years, your program has a tough time growing. I'd argue most title winning teams from collegiate-to-premier league level clubs, have a strong backroom staff top to bottom that backs the manager and gives them the tools they need. There is probably also an argument that can be made about whatever soccer energy is in the air in Vermont right now it's influencing the recent form. Winning is infectious.
STADIUM JOURNEY:
So someone's coming to Burlington, what are the must pre-game and post-game spots?
MATT MONTEIL:
You're asking the wrong man, as I have become comfortably lame and don't go out often anymore. My finger is very much off the pulse. That being said, for me a great spot for pre/post match festivities is Zero Gravity Brewery. Big beautiful open space for crowds with lots of screens broadcasting matches throughout the year. Good vibes, good beer, good food.
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