Boys' soccer in Amsterdam awaits redemption | Sports

The Rams have something to prove.

“We came in with the mindset that we were going to have a year of redemption and not get beaten as badly as we did last year,” Amsterdam coach Christopher Green said. “At the end of last season, a lot of kids started playing on the road for our club, Amsterdam FC. We saw a lot of improvement in the off-season, which made a huge difference at the beginning of the season. “

Coming off a 2023 season in which Amsterdam posted an overall record of 3-13, the Rams are almost done with the 2024 season and have an overall record of 7-3-2 and are near the top of the Foothills Council rankings.

“Coach told us that if we didn't pick up the pace, the results would be the same as before,” junior midfielder Aundray Fowler said. “No one really wanted to lose like that again this year.”

“I think it's just our chemistry,” senior midfielder Moises Morales said. “As a team, we are playing more technically, making better passes and taking better shots.”

Since then, Green has certainly put his players to the test, opening the season against Colonie of the Suburban Council. Amsterdam lost 6-0.

“I wanted us to see the speed and pace of play that I wanted our guys to have,” Green said. “Colonie is a AAA school and we are an AA school. I wanted us to play a really tough team that would help us assess where we needed to go.

“We make sure we have a tight schedule,” Fowler added. “We lost to Colonie 6-0. We went out there, played some tough games and were ready to play at Foothills.

The Rams responded to Colonie with victories over Troy, Scotia-Glenville and Gloversville, and played a scoreless draw against a strong Broadalbin-Perth team before losing 4-2 to Queensbury on a cold and rainy night under the lights on September 2. 25.

“I thought the boys could play and I sent that message throughout the preseason that we could compete with any team at Foothills,” Green said. We shouldn't have conceded five or six goals.

So far in October, Amsterdam has tied South Glens Falls 1-1 and posted a 3-1 victory over Schuylerville. After losing to Gloversville 2-1 in tournament play last Saturday, the Rams responded on Wednesday with a 5-1 victory over Hudson Falls.

“We all come to training and work hard. Coach holds us accountable for everything,” Fowler said. “We finally have a better opportunity than we have had in the last few years to get further into the segments. We haven't won a sectional game since I was a freshman and I'm hoping we can get a couple this year.

The Rams still have one Foothills Council game remaining on Friday against one of the league's top teams, Glens Falls. This competition is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on the road.

Amsterdam will travel to Schoharie for tournament play on Saturday and will look to compete in the Foothills Council league tournament next week.

Seedings for the Section 2 tournament will be announced on Monday, October 21.

“It means a lot to us,” Morales said of his team's success this season. “The last few years have been first-round qualifiers at sectionals. I feel like we can go far with this team.”

“It's about staying focused. They exceeded my expectations as a coach and really pushed me,” Green said. “All the credit goes to the team. At this point it's about staying focused and continuing the momentum we had at the beginning of the season.

An added element of the season is the fact that the Rams have Green back as coach after he took a leave of absence last year to focus on his family, including his newborn son, Luka, who was dealing with some medical complications.

“Absolutely. Big time. Him and his son,” Fowler said about whether the Rams would play for Green. “We really came out to play for the coach and his son. He makes us responsible and is like another father to all of us.”

“Having the coach come back this year has helped us tremendously,” Morales added.

Photos: The Amsterdam boys soccer team takes on Hudson Falls