Twente back in gear
We commented last week that it was beginning to look like the PSV and Ajax show this season in Holland. After a sluggish start, champions Twente are purring again and not ready to relinquish their grip on the Eredivisie just yet. John Dobson reports.
Willem II 0-3 Groningen
NAC 2-0 VVV Venlo
Roda JC 4-2 Heracles
NEC 2-2 Heerenveen
De Graafschap 0-5 Ajax
ADO 2-2 PSV
Feyenoord 4-0 Vitesse
Twente 4-0 Utrecht
AZ 1-1 Excelsior
The goals continue to pile up in the Eredivisie. Well they are doing everywhere except in the 'A' column alongside Twente's name on the league ladder. Four games in and they've yet to be breached, which is quite remarkable. However, they've also found their touch at the other end of the field and Luuk de Jong is off and running. Two last week, he matched that this week as Utrecht - coming off the back of an impressive European performance - were brushed aside in a clinical second half performance. De Jong hit the post and Marc Janko hit only air when well placed in a first half which Twente dominated, but they had to wait until twenty minutes into the second half for the breakthrough, Theo Janssen's deep cross finding Janko unmarked six yards out and he headed in. Eight minutes later, repeat as before for 2-0. Another six minutes on and Janko's nod-down was swooped on by de Jong for his first. With six minutes to go, Bryan Ruiz - not on the scoresheet yet this season, but still massively influential - sent de Jong away down the left. He cut infield, took three defenders out with some fancy footwork and finished in style for a convincing win. Ajax went one better, Luis Suarez hitting a hat-trick as De Graafschap were blown away at De Vijverberg. Suarez's first came with a glancing header on the quarter hour. It was easy, too easy, and Ajax strolled through the rest of the game, picking off the Super Farmers almost at will. It was 2-0 at the break, Suarez having whipped a free-kick around the wall and in from just outside the box. Twenty minutes into the second period, it was three when Urby Emanuelson, off a one-pace run-up and with no backlift, curled a free-kick from similar range over the wall after Siem de Jong had been fouled. Suarez toe-ended his third and Ajax's fourth after exchanging passes with Demy de Zeeuw and a long ranger from Christian Eriksen - the young Dane's first Eredivisie goal - wrapped it up late on.
That sends Ajax top on goals scored as PSV were surprisingly held in Den Haag by ADO. Twice the Eindhoveners led and twice they were pegged back. Ibrahim Afellay had PSV ahead early on with a long range stunner, but ADO pulled it back early in the second half, Timothy Derijck turning a knock-down in from ten yards. A Francisco Rodriguez free-kick restored the lead midway through the second period, but a lovely delayed finish from Frantisek Kubik earned a share of the points. Feyenoord got back to winning ways, easing to victory over Vitesse who were behind to Kelvin Leerdam's header 20 minutes in. Leroy Fer poked home a corner on the half hour for the second. Vitesse lost possession in their own half to concede the third, Luc Castaignos with the vital touch, albeit from a yard offside. With time running down, Giorgino Wijnaldum won and converted a penalty for the fourth and a resounding win. AZ almost fell foul of Excelsior who converted recent home form into a decent away showing. Dallying in defence, Joey Didulica rushed a clearance which gave possession away and Guyon Fernandez was johnny-on-the-spot to lift it over the Australian for an unlikely looking lead. Kolbeinn Sigthorsson rescued a point, albeit through an awful shot, driven down into the ground but looping up over the keeper and in.
Willem II are adrift at the bottom already after another beating, this time at the hands of Groningen whose combative midfield won the ball to present Tom Hiariej to chip the advancing keeper for the opener late in the first half. Leandro Bacuna mis-hit a shot across the face of the goal just after the hour mark, but Thomas Enevoldsen was on hand to pick up the scraps and sidefoot home and victory was sealed a couple of minutes later, Nicklas Pedersen volleying in after the Willem II keeper had parried a decent save right to him. Willem II are adrift at the bottom as NAC registered their first win of the campaign over fellow strugglers VVV Venlo. Matthew Amoah got the first on ten minutes, volleying in first time a long ball that came over his left shoulder onto his right foot. Stunning. Donny Gorter made it two fifteen minutes later, a long throw giving VVV all sorts of issues at the back. NEC blew a two-goal lead in drawing with Heerenveen who edged the first half in terms of chances created as they turned around at 0-0. Within six minutes of the restart, their profligacy looked like costing them as they found themselves two down. Leroy George cut in from the right wing and curled a left-footed gem inside the back post for the opener and he turned provider for the second, playing in Lasse Schone who finished from a tight angle. Within a minute, Heerenveen pulled one back through Christian Grindheim's looping header, but it looked like NEC would hang on until Roy Beerens popped up with three minutes left to get the decisive touch on Bas Dost's goal-bound effort. One more game to look at and six more goals... An early Morten Skoubo double set Roda JC on their way against Heracles. He showed great strength for his first, holding off a couple of defenders, but still having the wherewithal to finish, the second a bit more routine, a header from the 12 yards as the keeper came and failed to make it. The game wasn't even ten minutes old and before it was 20, Roda were three up after Laurent Delorge latched onto a great through ball. His first touch took the defenders out of the equation and the only remaining question was could he find the finish from a tight angle. Yes. Yes he could. It should have been four, but the officials failed to spot the ball crossing the line before the Heracles defence cleared. Twenty minutes after the restart, Marko Vejinovic pulled one back for Heracles with a massively deflected free-kick and ten minutes later they were within one. Another massive deflection took Willy Overtoom's shot past Premyslaw Tyton to set up a grandstand finish. The revival was snuffed out with ten minutes to go as Delorge sprang the offside trap on the counter and squared for Mads Junker to seal the game from six yards out.
It’s internationals next week, so the Eredivisie picks up the following week, Saturday the 11th of September. Twente start us off with an away trip to Venlo which should see them extend their defensive record for another 90 minutes. PSV are at home to NEC where they’ll need to win to keep pace with Ajax who will surely batter Willem II. Feyenoord face NAC while game of the week looks to be Utrecht’s trip to Groningen.
VVV Venlo v Twente
PSV v NEC
Heerenveen v Vitesse
AZ v Roda JC
Excelsior v Heracles
NAC v Feyenoord
Ajax v Willem II
ADO v De Graafschap
Groningen v Utrecht
John covers the Eredivisie and Ligue 1 for IBWM but if you would like to read more from him, please visit euroballs.