The Columbia girls soccer team gathers together after the home scrimmage victory over Clifton on Thursday, Aug. 29.
MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Columbia High School girls soccer team has a new coach this season. Cougar soccer fans might be quite familiar with him.
Mateo Green, a 2018 CHS graduate, took over the reins after being with the program for the past two seasons. Two years ago, he was the freshman coach. Last season, he was the JV coach. During the past two years, he said he would always help out the varsity team whenever he could.
“It feels good,” said Green about being the new coach, after his team defeated Clifton in a scrimmage at Underhill Sports Complex’s Lynn V. Profeta Field on Thursday morning, Aug. 29. “It feels good to give back to the school I went to.”
Green, a goalkeeper, played for the CHS boys team in his freshman and sophomore years, before playing on the club level for the Player Development Academy in his final two years while he was at Columbia. Green then continued his career collegiately at Division 1 St. Francis in Brooklyn, N.Y. before transferring to Division 1 Gardner-Webb in Florida.
Green has been delighted with his team’s progress during the preseason.
“I think we have a good group. I’ve seen the team grow. I’ve seen the maturity from the players that started their freshmen year on varsity. They have developed and become good leaders.”
Green has high hopes for the Cougars this season. “I think we will have the best season that we’ve had in the last five years. I think we have the mentality, especially from the senior group; they want to win.”
The Cougars will visit Livingston High School in the season opener on Thursday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m.
They will host Verona High School on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at Lynn V. Profeta Field at 4:15 p.m.
Photos by Joe Ragozzino
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