Amsterdam Crusaders aim for 19th Dutch title as they face the 010 Trojans

Holland’s top team, the Amsterdam Crusaders are aiming to make Tulip Bowl XXXIII, the championship final for the Netherlands, their 19th title Saturday as they get set to take on their 2016 Tulip Bowl opponents, the 010 Trojans from Rotterdam.

This is the third straight trip to the final for the Crusaders and their 15th since 2000.

Meanwhile the 010 Trojans from Rotterdam qualified for the second straight year and the second time in their history.

Amsterdam who went undefeated in the regular season, reached the final after beating the Hilversum Hurricanes 36-0 in the semifinal, while the 5-3 Trojans whipped the  second place Lightning Leiden 59-6.

The Crusaders defeated the Trojans in last year’s final 40-6. Amsterdam won both games against the Trojans in 2017, 33-0 and 35-6.

Amsterdam’s offense scored 338 points in eight regular season games while only allowing 27 points. The 010s had the second best offense in Holland scoring 252 points but gave up 21.2 points a game.

Keke Ray leads the offense for Amsterdam and, as he did in the semifinal, he can beat you with his feet as well as his arm. And with Janawski Davis in the backfield, opposing defenses always face a problem. Davis scored a 70 yard touchdown against Hilversum and while Ray threw for another before giving way to backup Jasper Nijland.

Although the Crusaders are overwhelming favorites, Trojans head coach Pascal Matla is not throwing in the towel quite yet though, as he explained to Tiel Van Den Heuvel of Holland’s Picksix.nl:

“Every time we hit the field, we play to win. Our goal all year was to return to the Tulip Bowl and I always said that once you get the to final, anything can happen.”