The Stories Going In
Salivating. It’s a terrible word, if you think about it. And why would I be salivating about a soccer game? Am I going to eat the soccer game? Is it going to taste good? Anywho…
I am salivating (ew!) over this week’s games. And yes, they’re on ESPN+.
N.E.C. against Feyenoord. The former is arguably the most attack-minded team in the league, and the latter is desperate for a win after a disappointing (embarrassing?) tie with newly-promoted ADO. This’ll be some good soccer.
Ajax against PSV. I cannot remember a time when these two teams, usually the most talented in the league, both played such an attacking style of soccer. This game could end 6-5. Seriously. This is going to be an advertisement for the Eredivisie. I cannot wait.
Groningen against Twente. There’s more talent in the above game, but this matchup will be just as good—seriously. These are two teams eager to prove themselves against an opponent of this quality (I know this sounds like classic sports-writer BS, which is exactly the kind of thing I try to stay away from. But what I’m saying is true: Groningen had the air let out of them in last week’s loss to Fortuna, a game they could’ve won. Beating a club like Twente would show the league that the Fortuna game was a fluke. For Twente, on the other hand, last week’s big win against Cambuur was an expected and unimpressive feat—they want to show their fans that the slow start to the season is behind them.)
GOALS. Last weekend—which I wrote over 4,000 words about (eesh!)—involved 43 goals. That’s the most in seven years. Right now, we’re averaging 4.03 goals per game after four weeks. That’s more than the highest season-average ever: 3.88 goals per game, in the 1958-1959 season. Yeah. This was a good year to start the Orangerie.
70 years. A couple days ago was the official 70th anniversary of the Eredivisie. If you took every game from those 70 years and made one big all-time standings, it would look like this:
These standings are so interesting. A few notes:
Two of the top 10 teams, NAC Breda and Roda JC, don’t play in the Eredivisie.
Excelsior and PEC Zwolle are doing well for themselves.
This really shows what an anomaly it was to have Almere City in the Eredivisie last season.
Twente 4th and Sparta 5th is a trivia question, the latter being more surprising. This just goes to show how relatively “new” it is that AZ are one of the biggest clubs in the country.
A Look At Each Game
Sparta should pull through in this one. PEC’s win a couple weeks ago against Heerenveen was looking like a reason for optimism, but Willem II tying with Heerenveen last week suddenly makes that seem less impressive. Sparta, on the other hand, are reeling after a last-minute (literally) loss to Rotterdam rivals Excelsior. Sparta are the more talented team here, and they have a chip on their shoulder. 1-0 Sparta.
What a game this is going to be. I’m almost not sure about who needs this win more—but truthfully, it’s Feyenoord. They’re the ones with the new coach and the high expectations of being one of the top three teams in the country. N.E.C., we must remember, have no business playing in the Europa League. Before this year, N.E.C. had played 10 European games total. Ever. Feyenoord have played 300+. Even Willem II have played more European games than N.E.C. in their history. All that to say: the fans in Nijmegen won’t be displeased if the cost of performing in Europe is a lower-placed finish in the standings. Feyenoord, on the other hand, are mid-transition. Even the club’s GM admitted that they’ve made no promises about a championship this year. As for this game? I have no idea. This is anyone’s guess. It could end 3-1 for N.E.C. or 2-1 for Feyenoord. My final answer, Regis, is based on the fact that N.E.C. have more momentum and fewer departed players to manage the absence of. 2-2.
I want this to be a competitive game so badly. But I just don’t think that Utrecht are ready to face any good teams yet. Have you ever wished that you could stop time, hibernate/work on yourself for a few months, and then re-start the world? Every millennial secretly longs for the powers of Adam Sandler in Click. And I think Utrecht coach Anthony Correia is sharing those thoughts. It’s a blemish to Correia’s record so far that Go Ahead coach Joseph Oosting has made significant strides with his team in the same amount of time. But the Utrecht squad is devoid of the talent that lies in Deventer—a sentence that is wild when you look at the above all-time Eredivisie standings. 3-1 Go Ahead.
What a matchup. Ahhhh! I’m so excited. I cannot wait. I cannot emphasize to you enough how great this game is going to be. Two incredibly talented teams who are attack-first facing off. Remember how it would feel when Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City would play against Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool? This is the Dutch version of that. I have no idea how this will go—except that there will be goals. I would bet the house on this not ending 0-0. Any of you sports-bettors out there, that’s a freebie. Ugh, the prediction… Not a clue. I really don’t want to suggest that either team won’t win. Can I predict that everyone has fun? I know we will. Ugh. 3-3? No. 3-2 PSV.
Excelsior can further fan the wind behind their waves. This should, should, be a slam-dunk game for them. I can feel the nervousness of the Excelsior fans. Their start to the season—two wins and one loss—is usually the record of their Rotterdam older brother Feyenoord. Win here, and fans will start to believe in what is truly unthinkable. Excelsior have never finished higher than 11th in the Eredivisie. They’ve only even played in the Eredivisie in half the time since the turn of the century. Hey, don’t say I didn’t warn you about the talents of Excelsior coach Ruben den Uil! They’re slowly joining the ranks of teams I’m really rooting for this season. My hope has nothing to do with the win they should secure here. 3-0 Excelsior.
Hahaha, what a freakin’ treat. Groningen against Twente. To think that this is only being televised in the U.S. because ESPN airs four games every week—Ajax/PSV are playing each other, and N.E.C. is already televised against Feyenoord. So, through the fortunes of fate, we are delivered this delicious matchup on a silver platter. On any other week, this would be the game to watch. Can Twente put a muzzle on Groningen star Thom van Bergen? Can Groningen be solid enough defensively to thwart a Twente attack that is only continuing to gel? I’m thrilled that we actually get to see this one unfold. This is another game, though, that’s tough to predict. Ultimately, I think Twente continues this unlucky Groningen run. 3-2 Twente.
Hey, sports-bettors, over here.1 If Ajax and PSV producing goals was a lock, then AZ continuing their win streak against Heerenveen is the next best thing. This isn’t even David vs Goliath; this is like a prime LeBron playing one-on-one with Kwame Brown. Yeah, I bet you haven’t heard that name in a while. This is a stroll in the park. 4-0 AZ.
Telstar are favored! That’s not going to happen much this season. To the credit of new Telstar coach Henk Brugge, they don’t look nearly as bad as I expected them to after losing Anthony Correia. We’ll eventually find out if that’s just a carryover from Correia when players leave and new ones are brought in. Telstar can’t hold a candle to most of the teams in this league—but they should dispatch Cambuur pretty easily. 3-1 Telstar.
This is the thinking man’s game of the week. ADO’s Manchester City-style possession soccer meets its kryptonite opponent. This game will tell us a lot, actually: do ADO have the talent to pull off their style of play against Fortuna? They got a bit lucky against Feyenoord to have an all-timer from their goalie, who had 10 saves. Fortuna, meanwhile, are at the precipice of the tippity-top. Win this game, and they’re up there in the standings with PSV and Ajax. Win this game, and fans start to dream of European soccer in Sittard. I’m tempted to say ADO makes it tough on them, but I think Fortuna get it done. They have the talent to do so, at least. 1-0 Fortuna.
The Standings Going In
Teams with an asterisk have played one fewer game than the rest.
12 — AZ
10 — PSV Eindhoven
8 — Feyenoord
7 — Ajax*
7 — Go Ahead Eagles
7 — Fortuna Sittard
6 — Twente*
6 — N.E.C.*
6 — Excelsior*
6 — Groningen
5 — Heerenveen
4 — Sparta Rotterdam
3 — Telstar*
3 — PEC Zwolle
1 — Willem II*
1 — ADO Den Haag
1 — Utrecht
0 — Cambuur
Utrecht in a relegation place… Damn. Not what I would’ve expected. It’s tough to see.
Excelsior win this week, and they’re in 3rd place (before any other results) with a “game in hand,” as they say. This is huge for Excelsior.
Remember the days of Groningen flying high? Me too. Sigh.
4th and 10th place are separated by one point. Obviously, it’s because it’s early days, but there’s a lot of potential movement this week.
One Player To Know
Don’t get me wrong, Schuurs isn’t a superstar player by any means—but I think his story is worth highlighting. This is a defender made in the Ajax mold: yes, he’s a strong, tall (6’3”) player, but his greatest attributes are his ball control and passing. It’s no wonder he signed for N.E.C., a team that likes to have a lot of the ball and get it from A to B with short, precise passing.
Anyway, his story—Schuurs amassed four years at Ajax, who swooped him up after he captained Fortuna Sittard in the 2nd division at just 17 years old (!). Imagine giving your captain’s armband, the sign of a team’s leader, to a 17-year-old. That alone should tell you the maturity and personal skills that Schuurs possesses. But after those Ajax years, despite good performances, he wasn’t guaranteed playing time, so he left for Italian club Torino. At the beginning of his second season (October 2023) in Bella Italia, however, Schuurs tore his ACL. Badly. Unfortunate setbacks in his recovery meant that he never played another game for Torino, and this past summer he signed for N.E.C. to begin his comeback on the soccer field (where better to do that than a team back “home” in the Netherlands, where you’re close to your support system, and where they have a desperate need for someone with your skillset?).
Last weekend, Schuurs came on as a substitute for N.E.C., marking his first appearance on a professional field in 1,043 days. And then, three minutes after he comes on, he scores (watch the goal/reaction here). The elation, the relief, the emotion—it’s all there in his reaction and his family’s in the stands. It’s a thing of beauty. The entire bench cleared out to come support him for his goal. The kind of camaraderie that brings a tear to your eye.
Here’s an English-subtitled video that puts the romance into perspective.
“Feeling like a soccer player again—that’s what puts that smile on my face.” — Perr Schuurs
Transfer Corner
“You said the transfer corner was boring and lame!”
Yeah, yeah. Regardless, let’s recap a bit of what happened this past week around the end of the summer transfer window, AKA Deadline Day.
Ajax completed their squad revamp. Only two (!) players in their presumed starting 11 were here last year: midfielder Davy Klaassen and right-back Lucas Rosa. But man, has new Ajax GM Jordi Cruijff done a fantastic job. He brought in tricky dribbler Simon Adingra to replace Mika Godts (who left for Paris Saint-Germain).
PEC Zwolle added a familiar face. Sydney van Hooijdonk, son of the famous Dutch striker Pierre, is back in the Eredivisie. He’s a fun striker who will be a player to watch in PEC’s games.
Feyenoord made one semi-splash. It was an underwhelming transfer window for the Rotterdammers, but they did secure a familiar name of their own: Reiss Nelson. The Englishman previously played at Feyenoord on loan under Arne Slot, and after his contract with Arsenal wasn’t renewed, he’s returned on a free transfer. Solid business for Feyenoord, even if Nelson isn’t the player people thought he would be a few years ago.
A funny bit of drama from Enschede to Eindhoven. FC Twente had the injury-prone, but talented, Sam Lammers at striker. They then bring in the aging Wout Weghorst, who supplants Lammers as a starter. Twente then tell Lammers hey, sorry, but you’re now the third choice striker behind Weghorst and youngster Lucas Vennegoor of Hesselink (son of former player Jan, who went viral back in the day for the back of his jersey). Lammers is then bought by the league champions PSV, as his play style and skillset are exactly what the Eindhovenaars are looking for. And personally, I think Lammers is a better player than current PSV starter, the American Ricardo Pepi. All of this makes very little sense, but given Twente is now being run by Erik ten Hag, perhaps that’s not all that surprising.
The Amrabat bros are back. Sofyan Amrabat was a key free transfer for Ajax—he fills a role in their midfield that they desperately needed—and his older brother Nordin just slotted into the team at FC Utrecht.
Wesley Hoedt is back at AZ. His career since leaving AZ has taken him to Italy, England, Belgium, Spain, Saudi Arabia, and now he’s back at AZ. A solid defender who will be good experience to have on the bench, especially since he is a kid of the club.
Moment of Nature
There’s nothing like seeing a flurry of strictly positive reactions under the following post, which details a partnership with the Eredivisie and WonderboyZ, an initiative that provides work and daily routines for people with physical and mental disabilities.
Maybe I’m cynical, but if this kind of thing were posted on an ESPN NFL page or the like… I think there would be some tasteless jokes. It warms my heart that the comments are everyone supporting and being loving toward this wonderful thing. The hashtag #VoetbalGeeft, by the way, translates to #SoccerGives.
Video and link here:
For the record, these comments are in jest: I don’t support or endorse the action of sports betting. No judgment if you do—but I refuse to touch it.