There’s a new soccer team in town, though fans may not have heard of them just yet, since they haven’t played any home games in front of a crowd. 

The New Amsterdam Football Club was established a year ago, and plays in the National Independent Soccer Association, the third tier of professional soccer in the United States. 

Among the players is Mahmoud Keita, who was born in the Bronx, spent eight years with his family in his parent's homeland Ivory Coast in West Africa, and returned to New York at the age of 12 with a love of soccer. 


What You Need To Know

  • New Amsterdam Football Club was established last year as a team in the National Independent Soccer Association

  • The team practices at Pier 40 at Hudson River Park

  • They currently play home matches without fans in Orange County due to Covid-19 restrictions
  • Eighty percent of the team's players are from the New York City area

“You know, I remember my first game watching Barcelona-Celtic, that's when the love of the game just caught my heart,” said Keita, who was witness to civil war in the Ivory Coast before his parents returned with him to the Bronx. 

The team is led by Sporting Director and Head Coach Max Mansfield, who grew up in the West Village, a corner kick away from the team’s practice field at Pier 40 in Hudson River Park. 

Eighty percent of the team hails from the New York City area. Mansfield says the local flavor adds to the team chemistry.

"When we get the guys in, there is an immediate camaraderie. You know, we are all local New York City guys who have maybe played abroad at some point or another and now we are back in New York working on this thing together,” said Mansfield, who grew up playing at Pier 40.

One of the young standouts on the team is 18-year-old Aldo Munoz from nearby Garfield, New Jersey. He is completing his high school classes online as he follows his soccer dreams. 

"There's nothing I would rather be doing than playing soccer every morning, it's the sport I love and I hope to be able to do it with such a great group of guys,” said Munoz. 

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the team has been playing north of the city in Orange County without fans in the seats. It's been a challenging year, but Mahmoud Keita, who won three city championships at Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Manhattan, says it's all about perseverance. 

“You have to be mentally tough, you know you have to really want what you want in life,” said Keita. 

Players and coaches on the club say they cannot wait to play in front of fans for the first time. They have a couple of spots picked out for when that will be permitted, but the ultimate goal is to establish a home field at Pier 40.