*So, oopsies. Just didn’t have time this weekend (I’m going to have to be better about that!!). So this is delayed, but would still rather not miss a week. Recap coming tomorrow most likely!
The Stories Going In
A lighter load this week. Ajax, N.E.C., and Twente all have critical European games this week, so the league has postponed their games to a later date to give them the ability to focus on their European opponents. More on this down in the European Corner section.
AZ look unstoppable. But this week’s game against Fortuna, maybe the most defensive team in the league, is an excellent test. Fortuna have the talent in Mohamed Ihattaren and Ole Romeny to punish a team with a quick counter-attack.
Utrecht desperately need points. Their start to the season has been against AZ and Groningen, two teams that are playing better than anyone expected. Given that next week is against reigning champions PSV, this game against a tricky Sparta team is their best opportunity to put points on the board. But there’s a full possibility that Utrecht are at zero points after four games come September. I want to see manager Anthony Correia be given time—but how much time on the hot seat can the leadership at Utrecht bear from the fans, before they feel the need to step in?
A huge game on Sunday morning. PSV against Groningen is a game that a commentator would call “mouthwatering.” It almost reminds me of the last Super Bowl: a deep, experienced team (Seahawks) facing a young, upstart group (Patriots) led by a good coach (Mike Vrabel).
We say goodbye to a couple of Eredivisie stars. They didn’t die. They just moved teams. More on that below in the Transfer Corner.
…And hello to a new one. Ditto RE: below, but PSV brought in an experienced Dutch player to give their defense much-needed help.
A Look At Each Game
Only six games this week, instead of the usual nine, but we’ve still got some interesting matchups on the cards.
This is the kind of game that’s going to look like exactly what it is: AZ attacking and Fortuna defending. Until the first goal, that is. I can’t imagine this game ending 0-0, and once that first goal goes in, then we’ve got a game on our hands. Either Fortuna are then forced to attack and play direct (which they can do), or AZ switch into fifth gear. Either way, we’re in for a treat. Watch the movement of Fortuna attacker Ole Romeny (#10), and keep your eyes on the tricky footwork of Ro-Zangelo Daal (#11). I think AZ are able to crack the Fortuna code and keep their winning streak going. 2-0 AZ.
Ah, the aforementioned Panic At The Galgenwaard! Here’s the thing: I’m not sure that Utrecht are in a position to win just yet. Last week’s game showed that they’re clearly still adapting to the style of play and expectations of Anthony Correia. Sparta coach Rogier Meijer doesn’t play as exciting a brand of soccer, but he’s gotten this Sparta team under control quicker. This is a home game for Sparta at Het Kasteel (The Castle, the name of their stadium), which you’d think would add to the Utrecht pressure, but I think it’s the opposite. Imagine being an Utrecht player. Last week, you were getting booed and whistled by your home fans. Imagine the pressure you feel whenever you have the ball? Imagine the fear of hearing thousands of people boo you if you lose it? I think it’ll help—but I don’t think Utrecht come away with a win. I’d more easily bet on them losing than winning. 1-1.
Hey, this Heerenveen team don’t look so bad! Luca Oyen is a gifted attacker who scored the only goal in their win over Twente, and then the team from Friesland came back from 2-0 behind to tie 2-2 with Ajax. Yes, they had fewer expected goals (0.4-1.4 against Twente and 1.4-2.0 against Ajax) in both games, but the Dutch-born trio of Dylan Vente, Ringo Meerveld, and Dirk Proper form the spine of the team, and are complemented by the talented Jacob Trenskow, who has started the season with great performances. This week they face a PEC team that has had a rough go of things to start the season, but they have only faced two talented teams in Ajax and Twente. I think Heerenveen shows that they’re a step above PEC. 3-1 Heerenveen.
Hey, this Go Ahead team looks good. Victor Edvardsen—who has become synonymous with the club at this point—is anchoring the offense, and attacker Søren Tengstedt is firing on all cylinders. I feel like every week I’m going to say that ADO “present a test” for the team playing them, but that’s what happens when a newly-promoted team is low on squad talent but high on managerial talent. You can only beat a well-organized team, regardless of talent, if you too are well-organized. Lucky for Go Ahead, their coach Joseph Oosting is proving that he didn’t deserve to be fired by Twente last year. I think Go Ahead escape from this trap game with a win. 2-0 Go Ahead.
GAME OF THE WEEK ALERT! I’m excited for this game. These are two teams who want to score and keep the ball. It’ll be an interesting chess match between two good coaches in Peter Bosz and Dick Lukkien. Can the PSV defense stop star attacker Thom van Bergen? Can PSV keep their creative spark despite losing maybe the Eredivisie’s most creative player, Joey Veerman? If you watch/stream this one, be sure to catch the preview from the commentator in the 15 minutes before the game. This one is tough to predict; it really could go either way. I’ll roll the dice on a 2-1 win for PSV.
Let’s just be real: anything less than a win by at least 2 goals is going to be disappointing in Rotterdam. Feyenoord should beat this Cambuur team. We’re two weeks into the season and Cambuur have scored one goal while letting in seven. Funnily enough, Cambuur’s games are of added interest if you’re an Ajax fan, as youngsters Skye Vink and Lucas Jetten are on loan at the Leeuwarden club. I think Feyenoord have the palate-cleansing win that everyone expects of them. 3-0 Feyenoord.
The Standings Going In
AZ Alkmaar — 6
FC Groningen — 6
Go Ahead Eagles — 4
Fortuna Sittard — 4
AFC Ajax — 4
PSV Eindhoven — 4
Feyenoord Rotterdam — 4
SC Heerenveen — 4
Excelsior Rotterdam — 3
N.E.C. Nijmegen — 3
FC Twente — 3
Sparta Rotterdam — 3
SC Telstar — 3
FC Utrecht — 0
PEC Zwolle — 0
ADO Den Haag — 0
Willem II — 0
SC Cambuur — 0
One Player To Know
Where do I even start with Wout Weghorst? Maybe the fact that he’s the scorer of this legendary goal that will live in the Oranje minds forever? Maybe the fact that he’s an anti-vaxxer who the Dutch have nicknamed “Wappie Wout” (“wappie” is slang that means “not right in the head” that was used to describe anti-vaxxers during the pandemic)? Or maybe the current conundrum: the fact that, at 34, he’s simply not the player he used to be. You know how Russell Westbrook was no longer a great player once he aged, after he couldn’t rely on his athleticism? Well, Weghorst’s whole thing is his high work ethic on the field, his many strides complemented by the length of his 6’6” frame. It’s why Erik ten Hag brought him to Manchester United. But the decline has been real. In 2022, it was fine to have him coming off the bench for the Dutch at the World Cup. It has made less sense in subsequent tournaments. I’d argue that him being the first attacker subbed on in the Euro 2024 semifinal against England was what cost the Dutch the game.1 You should also know—and you’ll notice this if you watch him play with Twente this season—that he, erm, has the emotional range of an infant. That’s always the small risk of bringing him on: that Weghorst’s emotions will get the better of him, and he’ll earn himself a yellow card, or worse. When he scores, you can feel the joy radiating from his body. But when he’s losing, he can turn fiery pretty quickly. Perhaps it’s the anti-vaxxer stuff that makes me sound so negative; I agree with Victor Wembanyama when he refuses to carry the burden of hiding any emotions. I guess I just wish Weghorst was more in-control of his own. Especially now that he’s playing for Twente, his hometown club.
Why did I select Weghorst, though? It’s not because of anything said previously. It’s because regardless of his current skill level, he is a name, and that’s not usually a thing available to a club like FC Twente. New GM Erik ten Hag—another who is from the region—brought Weghorst to the club, saying:
“We’re incredibly proud that Wout Weghorst is joining FC Twente. Who wouldn’t be, when a striker for the Dutch national team with more than fifty international caps is coming to your club? This transfer is a unique opportunity for us. He’s a true professional through and through and the perfect example of what you can achieve as a soccer player when you’re willing to give it your all. A player with such an impressive track record is normally not obtainable for FC Twente. He has always demonstrated tremendous willpower and drive, and he’s bursting with ambition. As a local boy, Wout is eager to achieve great things with FC Twente. We’re convinced he’ll play a key role in FC Twente’s future successes. Wout is going to bring something extra to our team.” — Erik ten Hag
I’m not so sure about the penultimate sentence. So far, a lot of Twente’s early-season struggles are because they’ve had to fit Weghorst into the lineup. In their all-important 1-0 loss to Qarabağ, Weghorst, the sole striker in the team, was one of the worst players on the field. He is no longer the striker who can shoulder all that responsibility, as much as it pains me to say it, because Twente are an easy team to root for, and they need to beat Qarabağ to be playing in Europe this season. Let’s hope that Weghorst finds some pixie dust before Thursday.
Transfer Corner
The Eredivisie waved goodbye to AZ striker Troy Parrott and PSV midfielder Joey Veerman. Both had grown into two of the league’s stars, and they’re now off to bigger things (read: bigger paychecks) at Real Betis in Spain and Borussia Dortmund in Germany. But there’s reason to believe both teams will be okay. AZ, actually, will definitely be okay. They made a smart move last season in signing striker Jizz Hornkamp (It’s pronounced “Yizz”), who yours truly has always been a fan of, to back up the now-ready-to-go Mexx Meerdink. Don’t be fooled: this is Meerdink’s breakout season, and he’s been primed for one. A true striker, that one. PSV, on the other hand, just have too much firepower to let any one player leaving throw a wrench into things. But they’re going to miss him in the Champions League, that’s for sure.
Former Feyenoord player Lutsharel Geertruida is back in the Eredivisie, having been signed on loan by PSV from RB Leipzig. Geertruida is a good Swiss army knife to have in the team because he can play any-and-all defensive positions on the field (left back, center back, right back, defensive midfield), and he’s solid with the ball, meaning he is great for a possession-based team like PSV. He’s played for the Dutch national team, and went with them to the World Cup this year; but he’s never impressed me when I’ve seen him play. Granted, the national team is a whole different ballgame. Let’s hope he proves me wrong and stars at PSV.
Moment of Nature
Let’s throw it back to an oldie-but-goldie; a goldie oldie.
This is a famous meme in the Netherlands of an Eredivisie player—the Frenchman Nicolas Isimat-Mirin—reacting to the heat. “Snikheet” is a Dutch word for “scorching heat.” But if you ever go to the Netherlands in the summer, and meet a man between the age of 25-35, impress him by referencing this:
Weghorst came on for Donyell Malen, a speedy dribbler, in a game where England were controlling the ball. You’d think that maybe, actually, you’d want to bring on someone who can move the ball forward with speed once you obtain it, either through passing vision or quick dribbling. Weghorst couldn’t do either. Too many opportunities were wasted on the counterattack because it was Weghorst who had the ball. Imagine if Ronald Koeman had instead brought on Jeremie Frimpong, one of the fastest players in the game? Or even Steven Bergwijn. Sigh. This is just a rant against Ronald Koeman.