Phoenix Overpower Voltage

The GPS Portland Phoenix continued to set the pace at the top of the USL PDL Northeast Division with a 4-2 victory over the Vermont Voltage at the Collins-Perley Sports Complex in St. Albans, Vt. on Saturday night.

First place Portland (9-3-1, 28 points) grabbed the lead through midfielder Chris Banks in the 23rd minute, but the Voltage (2-10-2, 8 points) equalized in the 43rd minute off a bicycle kick from defender Brian Green.

It was the second half where Portland would put the game out of reach. Blaike Woodruff would put the Phoenix on top for good in the 52nd minute, though the Voltage thought they had tied it up through Ognjen Perucica, only for the goal to be ruled offside.

The game would then spark back to life with five minutes remaining. First the Phoenix made it 3-1, only for Bo Vuckovic – the Voltage’s 41-year-old player/owner and former New England Revolution striker – to bring it back within one with a goal a minute later.

Vuckovic’s goal would prove nothing more than a consolation strike, however as the Phoenix would score again in the 90th minute to finish the game off with a 4-2 victory.

The Voltage also played part of the match down a man after receiving a red card.

Portland travels to Ottawa to face the second place Fury on Sunday at 3 p.m. The Voltage return to action on July 11, with a match against the Western Mass Pioneers in St. Albans at 7 p.m.