PSV crowned themselves winter champions with a 5-2 win over Heracles Almelo and Ajax did not manage to win a league match at home for the third time in a row.
If you look at the 5-2 result only PSV grabbed an easy win against Heracles Almelo on Saturday, but they did not. It had to come down to a Hercales red card in the 70th minute to hand PSV the opportunity to grab the three points they needed to crown themselves winter champions.
Ajax just does not seem to be able to find the rhythm in their own Amsterdam Arena this season. The ‘Godenzonen’ drew 1-1 against NEC on Saturday, thus posting their third consecutive home match without a win in de Eredivisie.
On Friday Albert Ferrer took his first loss in three matches as Vitesse coach on a deep-frozen pitch at the Euroborg Stadium in Groningen. The home team easily won 4-1, grabbing three points to add up their total of 33 from 17 matches, which marks their best first half of the season in club history.
Albert Ferrer took his First loss in three matches as Vitesse coach at FC Groningen on Friday. The home team easily won 4-1, grabbing three points to add up their total of 33 from 17 matches, which marks their best first half of the season in club history.
Petter Anderson was in the Groningen starting lineup for the first time in two years after a knee injury. Cheers for his return were quickly swapped for the fear of a severe injury of Koen van der Laak, who had to get off in the ninth minute with a painful knee. The conditions were very tough in Euroborg. Although the pitch was snow-free, it was rock solid deep-frozen with a temperature of minus 8 centigrade.
Vitesse started well, but did not keep up with the Groningen pace as the first half went on. Despite a shot on the cross-bar by Vitesse’s Ismail Aisatti and three good chances for FC Groningen it was still 0-0 at half time. In the second half the home team opened the score with an Andreas Granqvist penalty and that broke Vitesse’s resistance. Petter Anderson (63‘),Tim Matavz (67‘) and Tim Sparv (81‘) added to the tally with Marcus Pedersen (79 ‘) scoring for Vitesse in between.
Ajax just does not seem to be able to find the rhythm in their own Amsterdam Arena this season. The ‘Godenzonen’ drew 1-1 against NEC on Saturday, thus posting their third consecutive home match without a win in de Eredivisie. The last time Ajax did not manage to win three consecutive league matches at home was in 1998.
“NEC were the better team in the first half hour”, admitted Martin Jol. The Ajax coach complained about not being able to buy attacking wingers for Ajax. “Why NEC were better? Because they have players we could use, like ADO Den Haag. They have Wesley Verhoek. We were playing with a whole new attacking line, they were not used to playing together.”
With Luis Suarez suspended for a long time Jol fielded Miralem Sulejmani as left winger, Mido as target man, Mounir El Hamdaoui as second centre forward and Araz Özbiliz on the right wing. It did not work out and the home crowd even whistled to their own team for playing so poorly.
In the 76th minute Mido seemed to save the three points for Ajax from a Sulejmani cross, but two minutes later Bram Nuytinck hit the target for NEC’s well deserved equalizer. The Red-Black-Green Brigade never won at Ajax, but on Saturday they marked their fourth draw in 35 league matches visiting the Amsterdam club.
If you look at the 5-2 result only PSV grabbed an easy win against Heracles Almelo on Saturday, but they did not. It had to come down to a Hercales red card to hand PSV the opportunity to grab the three points they needed to crown themselves winter champions.
Everton (27’) put the visitors in front in Eindhoven, but the poorly performing home team could rely on in form Balázs Dzsudzsák (36’) and Ola Toivonen (41’) to hand them the advantage at the half time break. In the second half Everton (62’) scored again and the visitors were heading for at least one point.
After Peter Reekers received his second yellow card in the 70th minute Toivonen ( 74') put away the winner and Ibrahim Afellay (88') and Marcus Berg (90') added up to the home team’s tally. PSV became winter champions for the 19the time in Eredivisie history and they eventually took the championship in 15 of the previous 18 times they were leading half way into the season.
FC Twente completely relied on Theo Janssen against De Graafschap. The ‘Tukkers’ were not at the best of their game on Saturday and scoring appeared to be difficult, but Janssen saved the three points for Twente with two deadly precise free-kicks: 2-0.
The home team played without injured Bryan Ruiz, who is out until January, and Deny Landzaat replaced the Costa Rican striker. Defender Douglas was back after a suspension and Rasmus Bengtsson played instead of Thilo Leugers, who had replaced injured Dwight Tiendalli the past couple of weeks. Tiendalli made his return as a substitute ten minutes from time.
With their win Twente remain second on the table with 37 points from 17 matches. Last season the title holders were leading with 47 points at the halfway point.
A clumsy own goal by Ricky van Haaren cost Feyenoord the victory in Tilburg on Sunday: 1-1. The Rotterdam squad were heading for their first away win this season after a Kelvin Leerdam goal in the 37th minute, when Van Haaren left his own goalkeeper without a chance with a header six minutes from time.
Willem II gained a point, but relegation seems inevitable halfway into the season. The ‘Tricolores’ only have 4 points from their first 17 matches, thus equaling the Eredivisie record of Helmond Sport (19883/1984), Cambuur Leeuwarden (1993/1994) and RBC Roosendaal (2005/2006). These three clubs all relegated.
Mario Been was not amused with his team’s performance. “If I have to give my team a mark from one to ten, it would be four”, the Feyenoord coach said. “We should be ashamed of ourselves. This was a relegation match and we played like that, nervous and messy.”
Jan Wuytens handed FC Utrecht a last minute win at home against sc Heerenveen on Sunday. The visitors opened the score when Roy Beerens converted a penalty, which was actually not a penalty because Tim Cornelisse fouled Beerens outside the box. Dries Mertens equalized in the 24th minute and although Utrecht did not manage to impress the grabbed the win thanks to Wuytens.
The home team were very lucky with referee Tom van Sichum when he refused to give Mihai Nesu even a yellow card despite a reckless tackle, for which should have got a red card. Dries Mertens inspired Utrecht to regroup after a bad start to eventually even be rewarded with three points.
ADO Den Haag lost their first home match since 15 August 2010, when AZ came to visit them on Sunday. The visitors outplayed the home team, who missed suspended Wesley Verhoek on the right wing.
AZ got a penalty in the 40th minute after a strange decision by referee Bas Nijhuis, who first decided to give the visitors a free kick, but changed his mind when AZ players complained. The eventual decision was right however. Pascal Bosschaart’s foul on Maarten Martens was inside the box. Rasmus Elm converted the sport kick.
In the second half Martens scored himself after Graziano Pèlle and Brett Holman set up a good AZ attack from the right. AZ thus climbed to fifth place on the table, equaling the points total of number four Ajax.
Ajax just does not seem to be able to find the rhythm in their own Amsterdam Arena this season. The ‘Godenzonen’ drew 1-1 against NEC on Saturday, thus posting their third consecutive home match without a win in de Eredivisie.
On Friday Albert Ferrer took his first loss in three matches as Vitesse coach on a deep-frozen pitch at the Euroborg Stadium in Groningen. The home team easily won 4-1, grabbing three points to add up their total of 33 from 17 matches, which marks their best first half of the season in club history.
Albert Ferrer took his First loss in three matches as Vitesse coach at FC Groningen on Friday. The home team easily won 4-1, grabbing three points to add up their total of 33 from 17 matches, which marks their best first half of the season in club history.
Petter Anderson was in the Groningen starting lineup for the first time in two years after a knee injury. Cheers for his return were quickly swapped for the fear of a severe injury of Koen van der Laak, who had to get off in the ninth minute with a painful knee. The conditions were very tough in Euroborg. Although the pitch was snow-free, it was rock solid deep-frozen with a temperature of minus 8 centigrade.
Vitesse started well, but did not keep up with the Groningen pace as the first half went on. Despite a shot on the cross-bar by Vitesse’s Ismail Aisatti and three good chances for FC Groningen it was still 0-0 at half time. In the second half the home team opened the score with an Andreas Granqvist penalty and that broke Vitesse’s resistance. Petter Anderson (63‘),Tim Matavz (67‘) and Tim Sparv (81‘) added to the tally with Marcus Pedersen (79 ‘) scoring for Vitesse in between.
Ajax just does not seem to be able to find the rhythm in their own Amsterdam Arena this season. The ‘Godenzonen’ drew 1-1 against NEC on Saturday, thus posting their third consecutive home match without a win in de Eredivisie. The last time Ajax did not manage to win three consecutive league matches at home was in 1998.
“NEC were the better team in the first half hour”, admitted Martin Jol. The Ajax coach complained about not being able to buy attacking wingers for Ajax. “Why NEC were better? Because they have players we could use, like ADO Den Haag. They have Wesley Verhoek. We were playing with a whole new attacking line, they were not used to playing together.”
With Luis Suarez suspended for a long time Jol fielded Miralem Sulejmani as left winger, Mido as target man, Mounir El Hamdaoui as second centre forward and Araz Özbiliz on the right wing. It did not work out and the home crowd even whistled to their own team for playing so poorly.
In the 76th minute Mido seemed to save the three points for Ajax from a Sulejmani cross, but two minutes later Bram Nuytinck hit the target for NEC’s well deserved equalizer. The Red-Black-Green Brigade never won at Ajax, but on Saturday they marked their fourth draw in 35 league matches visiting the Amsterdam club.
If you look at the 5-2 result only PSV grabbed an easy win against Heracles Almelo on Saturday, but they did not. It had to come down to a Hercales red card to hand PSV the opportunity to grab the three points they needed to crown themselves winter champions.
Everton (27’) put the visitors in front in Eindhoven, but the poorly performing home team could rely on in form Balázs Dzsudzsák (36’) and Ola Toivonen (41’) to hand them the advantage at the half time break. In the second half Everton (62’) scored again and the visitors were heading for at least one point.
After Peter Reekers received his second yellow card in the 70th minute Toivonen ( 74') put away the winner and Ibrahim Afellay (88') and Marcus Berg (90') added up to the home team’s tally. PSV became winter champions for the 19the time in Eredivisie history and they eventually took the championship in 15 of the previous 18 times they were leading half way into the season.
FC Twente completely relied on Theo Janssen against De Graafschap. The ‘Tukkers’ were not at the best of their game on Saturday and scoring appeared to be difficult, but Janssen saved the three points for Twente with two deadly precise free-kicks: 2-0.
The home team played without injured Bryan Ruiz, who is out until January, and Deny Landzaat replaced the Costa Rican striker. Defender Douglas was back after a suspension and Rasmus Bengtsson played instead of Thilo Leugers, who had replaced injured Dwight Tiendalli the past couple of weeks. Tiendalli made his return as a substitute ten minutes from time.
With their win Twente remain second on the table with 37 points from 17 matches. Last season the title holders were leading with 47 points at the halfway point.
A clumsy own goal by Ricky van Haaren cost Feyenoord the victory in Tilburg on Sunday: 1-1. The Rotterdam squad were heading for their first away win this season after a Kelvin Leerdam goal in the 37th minute, when Van Haaren left his own goalkeeper without a chance with a header six minutes from time.
Willem II gained a point, but relegation seems inevitable halfway into the season. The ‘Tricolores’ only have 4 points from their first 17 matches, thus equaling the Eredivisie record of Helmond Sport (19883/1984), Cambuur Leeuwarden (1993/1994) and RBC Roosendaal (2005/2006). These three clubs all relegated.
Mario Been was not amused with his team’s performance. “If I have to give my team a mark from one to ten, it would be four”, the Feyenoord coach said. “We should be ashamed of ourselves. This was a relegation match and we played like that, nervous and messy.”
Jan Wuytens handed FC Utrecht a last minute win at home against sc Heerenveen on Sunday. The visitors opened the score when Roy Beerens converted a penalty, which was actually not a penalty because Tim Cornelisse fouled Beerens outside the box. Dries Mertens equalized in the 24th minute and although Utrecht did not manage to impress the grabbed the win thanks to Wuytens.
The home team were very lucky with referee Tom van Sichum when he refused to give Mihai Nesu even a yellow card despite a reckless tackle, for which should have got a red card. Dries Mertens inspired Utrecht to regroup after a bad start to eventually even be rewarded with three points.
ADO Den Haag lost their first home match since 15 August 2010, when AZ came to visit them on Sunday. The visitors outplayed the home team, who missed suspended Wesley Verhoek on the right wing.
AZ got a penalty in the 40th minute after a strange decision by referee Bas Nijhuis, who first decided to give the visitors a free kick, but changed his mind when AZ players complained. The eventual decision was right however. Pascal Bosschaart’s foul on Maarten Martens was inside the box. Rasmus Elm converted the sport kick.
In the second half Martens scored himself after Graziano Pèlle and Brett Holman set up a good AZ attack from the right. AZ thus climbed to fifth place on the table, equaling the points total of number four Ajax.
