The 1st round proper of the 2017/18 edition of the KNVB Beker got underway on Tuesday evening in Vlaardingen where FC Den Bosch withstood a late scare to book a place in the next round of the competition.
Despite making a slow start to the campaign, the Eerste Divisie side appeared to be cruising after Bart Biemans handed the visitors the lead seven minutes after the restart before substitute, Sven Blummel doubled their advantage in the 64th minute and then added a third for Willy Boessen’s side nine minutes from time.
However, despite their fifth tier status, Zwaluwen rallied late on to net what looked to be a mere consolation through Ricardo Merrelaar four minutes from time.
Yet, buoyed by the goal, the hosts continued to press and found a second, this time from the spot, in the second minute of added time through Jesper Gudde.
However, despite the home side’s valiant late surge, it was Boessen’s side that held on to book their place in the 2nd round.
Despite reaching the semi-final stage of last year’s competition, Sparta Rotterdam’s involvement proved to a be a brief one this time around as Alex Pastoor’s side became the first big scalp to be taken by lower league opposition – a Dylan Seys strike nineteen minutes into the second half at the Mandemakers Stadion ultimately proving enough to secure struggling RKC Waalwijk’s passage through to the next round.
Sparta’s exit proved to be just the beginning of the shocks on Tuesday evening as undermanned Eerste Divisie outfit, FC Dordrecht also came unstuck at the hands of lower league opposition – Tweede Divisie outfit, GVVV sending their more illustrious guests crashing out of the competition thanks to a lone Soufiane Laghmouchi goal in the 66th minute.
Things went from bad to worse for Gerard de Nooijer’s side when Feyenoord loanee, Gustavo Hamer was given his marching orders by referee, Laurens Gerrets after picking up his second booking of the match seven minutes from time.
Another Eerste Divisie side were sent tumbling out of the competition to lower league opposition in Werkendam where Tweede Divisie outfit Kozakken Boys saw off De Graafschap 4-3 on penalties – Ahmad Mendes Moreira dispatching the decisive spot-kick after the game ended a goal-a-piece in normal time with Mahmut Sonmez opening the scoring for the hosts twelve minutes before the break before Sjoerd Ars clawed Henk de Jong’s men back onto level terms twenty one minutes into the second half.
However, one side who did manage to a avert a potential banana skin were Fortuna Sittard, who having begun their Eerste Divisie campaign in impressive fashion – taking ten points from a possible fifteen thus far, saw off previously unbeaten Hoofdklasse (Zaterdag A) leaders, Noordwijk thanks to a 69th minute effort from 21-year-old French forward, Djibril Dianessy despite Sunday Oliseh’s side later being reduced to ten men in the fifth minute of added time when referee, Clay Ruperti gave Jorrit Smeets his marching orders.
Elsewhere, it was Almere City that emerged victorious from their all-Eerste Divisie tie with high-flying hosts, FC Oss on Tuesday evening – Ajax loanee, Leroy Owusu putting Jack de Gier’s troops into an eighteenth minute lead before Arsenio Valpoort doubled the visitor’s advantage twenty minutes into the second half.
Despite finding themselves a goal down to Tweede Divisie outfit, Barendrecht after Daniel Esajas put the home side ahead with his second of the season just short of the quarter hour mark, previously winless Go Ahead Eagles put their poor early season form behind them to score three goals and secure a place in the next round of the competition.
After their capitulation at the hands of Cambuur on Friday evening, coach, Leon Vlemmings was looking for a response from his troops but despite, Pieter Langedijk clawing the visitors back on level terms after rounding home ‘keeper, Marc van Splunter on the half hour mark the tie remained finely poised until sixteen minutes from time when Sam Hendriks edged the Deventer-based outfit ahead – poking the ball past Splunter after latching on to an incisive through ball from Juventus loanee, Stefano Beltrame.
Any thoughts of a comeback by the hosts were dealt a severe blow when full back, Yorik van Deelen was shown a straight red card by referee, Sander van der Eijk just three minutes later before Hendriks popped up to seal the away side’s place in the next round of the competition with his second of the night and sixth of the season four minutes from time.
After making it as far as the final four of the competition last time out before being dispatched on penalties by eventual runners-up, AZ Alkmaar, SC Cambuur made short work of rock-bottom Helmond Sport in their all-Eerste Divisie encounter on Tuesday evening – hitting their struggling hosts for five.
Having accounted for both Ajax and FC Utrecht on their way to the semi-final stage of last season’s competition, the away side wasted little time in breaking the deadlock – Kevin van Kippersluis putting Marinus Dijkhuizen’s side into an eleventh minute lead before doubling the visitor’s advantage seven minutes after the restart.
Despite Gevero Markiet cutting the visitor’s lead in half twenty two minutes from time, any hope the home side may have harboured of turning things around were dispelled ten minutes later when Karim Rossi restored the away side’s two-goal advantage before first, Issa Kallon in the 81st and then substitute, Nigel Robertha a minute from time, added a touch of the emphatic to the eventual score-line.
Despite having just three points to their name and lying third off bottom in the Tweede Divisie standings, it took a pair of late strikes for visiting, Heracles to eventually see off Rijnsburgse Boys at the Sportpark Middelmors on Tuesday evening – skipper, Joey Pelupessy breaking the deadlock nineteen minutes from time for John Stegeman’s side before substitute, Vincent Vermeij gave the Eredivisie side some much-needed breathing room in the second minute of added time.
Elsewhere, in another all Eerste Divisie clash, with just one point and two places separating visitors, NEC Nijmegen from hosts, FC Emmen, it was the away side who progressed despite falling behind to an Alexander Bannink strike on the half hour mark at the JenS Vesting Stadion.
It took Sven Braken just four minutes to restore parity before the 24-year-old forward edged the away side into the lead four minutes into the second half with his fifth of the campaign and when Arnaut Groeneveld added a third just four minutes later, there was no coming back for the hosts.
A solitary strike from substitute, Mart Lieder – who had barely been on the field a minute after replacing Dennis van Vaerenbergh, proved just enough to book FC Eindhoven’s place in the 2nd round of the competition at the expense of fifth tier outfit, Sparta Nijkerk at the Sportpark De Ebbenhorst.
Tweede Divisie outfit, De Treffers also accounted for fifth tier opposition by sending Genemuiden packing.
Despite falling behind to an Omar Kavak effort shortly after the half hour mark, the away side found themselves back on level terms five minutes before the break thanks to an effort from former Excelsior man, Cedric Badjeck before Nick de Bondt edged Anton Janssen’s side ahead in the 75th minute and Badjeck added his second of the night ten minutes from time.
Eerste Divisie strugglers, FC Volendam eventually saw off fourth tier Quick Boys at the Sportpark Nieuw Zuid despite finding themselves a goal-down with just five minutes gone in Katwijk – Yordi Teijsse putting the Derde Divisie outfit into an early lead before things went from bad to worse for the visitors when referee, Edwin van de Graaf gave Luis Pedro his marching orders eleven minutes before the break.
However, a goal from Teije ten Den in the second minute of added time at the end of the first half saw Micha Salden’s side emerge from the interval with a spring in their step – the undermanned visitors making light of being reduced to ten men by taking the lead eight minutes after the resumption through Nick Runderkamp before substitute, Dylan Mertens added a third for the away side a minute from time.
Tuesday evening’s cup action was concluded with a five-goal thriller at De Geusselt where last year’s beaten finalists, AZ Alkmaar edged out Eerste Divisie high-flyers, MVV Maastricht.
Having raced into a seventh minute lead through 20-year-old Greek defender, Panteleimon Hatzidiakos, the away side soon found themselves back on level terms when Belgian centre half, Samy Mmaee levelled for the hosts eleven minutes before the break.
However, a Wout Weghorst strike two minutes before the interval would see John van den Brom’s side edge ahead before Mmaee popped up to level proceedings once more nineteen minutes from time.
Yet there was to be no giant killing as the visitor’s in-form forward, Weghorst claimed his second of the night and eighth of the campaign eight minutes from time to book his side’s place in the next round of the competition.
Wednesday evening’s cup action got underway with remarkable scenes at the Sportpark Olympiaplein in Amsterdam where fifth tier outfit, AVV Swift sent cup holders, Vitesse Arnhem tumbling out of the competition 5-3 on penalties – Mark Ruijter converting the winning spot-kick to send Bart Logchies’ side through to the next round after the tie had earlier ended goalless.
At the same time Roda JC recorded their first win of the season in some style – hitting Derde Divisie outfit, Capelle for five at the Sportpark’t Slot.
Despite losing their opening five games of the season, it took the visitors, who are currently rock-bottom of the Eredivisie table, just six minutes to break the deadlock through German forward, Dani Schahin.
Robert Molenaar’s troops to doubled their advantage seven minutes later through veteran midfielder, Nathan Rutjes before Mario Engels added a third for the visitors five minutes before the break.
With the game long-over as a contest, the away side would add a touch of the emphatic to the score-line seven minutes from time with two goals in two minutes from 22-year-old substitute, Celestin Djim Ndogo.
A Kasper Dolberg hat-trick helped Ajax make short work of Derde Divisie strugglers, Scheveningen as Marcel Keizer’s side hit their fourth tier opposition for five.
Having found themselves back at the Cars Jeans Stadion for the second time in four days after dropping two points at the hands of ADO Den Haag at the same venue on Sunday afternoon, it took the away side just five minutes to break the deadlock – Dolberg opening his goal-scoring account for the campaign with a drive from range before the visitors doubled their advantage three minutes before the break thanks to a header from Siem de Jong – the Dutch international capping his first appearance since returning to the club from Newcastle United at the end of August with a goal.
The game was effectively over as a contest when Ruben Koorndijk put through his own net from close range as the full back attempted to prevent David Neres from tapping a square ball from Siem de Jong into an empty net twelve minutes into the second half and, despite an emotional Barry Rog pulling one back for the hosts five minutes later, a late Dolberg-double rounded off a comprehensive victory for Keizer’s side with the Dane’s third of the evening coming from the spot five minutes from time following a foul on Neres by the unlucky Koorndijk.
Elsewhere, De Dijk came out on top in their all-Tweede Divisie clash with HHC.
Things had looked to be going the way of the visitors when Tiemen van Hezel put Gert Jan Karsten’s men into the ascendancy shortly before the half hour mark.
With three places and one point separating De Dijk in eighth from their guests in fifth, this was always going to be a close affair and so it proved as Nabil El Gourari restored parity for the hosts just six minutes into the second half before Harry Zwarthoed popped up with what ultimately proved to be the winner for the home side eighteen minutes from time.
At the same time, promotion-chasing Tweede Divisie outfit, Katwijk made short work of their fifth tier guests, Ter Leede – hitting the Hoofdklasse side for four at the Sportpark de Krom.
Having won each of their three league games thus far, the hosts broke the deadlock two minutes before the break through former Barnet forward, Marciano Mengerink.
Kilian Berkhout then doubled the home side’s advantage five minutes after the restart and the 22-year-old then added a third for Dick Schreuder’s side just after the hour mark before substitute, Mike van den Ban made it four eighteen minutes from time.
With a number of notable names already bundled out of this year’s competition by lower league opposition there was yet more giant killing afoot in Groesbeek where hosts, Achilles ’29 accounted for undermanned NAC Breda in a seven-goal thriller.
There was little indication of the remarkable scenes that were to unfold when Rai Vloet silenced the modest home crowd inside the Sportpark De Heikant by opening the scoring for the visitors with just seven minutes on the clock.
However, following their relegation from the Eerste Divisie last term, life in the third tier of Dutch football has begun well for Eric Meijers’ side who sit fourth in the standings – two points adrift of Tweede Divisie leaders, IJsselmeervogels and the home side were back on level terms just six minutes later through 19-year-old midfielder, Imran Oulad Omar.
Yet, when Estonian midfielder, Karol Mets restored the away side’s advantage with twenty five minutes gone things looked to be going the way of the Eredivisie side once more.
That was until the hour mark when referee, Jeroen Manschot handed the hosts a penalty which Boy van de Beek duly converted from the spot before former Willem II forward, Niels Wouters put the home side into the lead for the first time four minutes later.
With Shuremy Felomina having remarkably added a fourth for the Tweede Divisie outfit sixteen minutes from time, things soon went from bad to worse for Stijn Vreven’s side who found themselves reduced to ten men when goal-scorer Vloet was given his marching orders by Manschot after picking up a straight red card six minutes from time.
Despite the away side eventually finding a third through Danish substitute, Thomas Enevoldsen in the fourth minute of added time, the hosts would hold on to book their place in the next round of the competition.
Meanwhile, another giant killing was taking place in Noordwijkerhout where Tweede Divisie strugglers VVSB put their poor start to the season behind them to notch their first win of the campaign against Eerste Divisie outfit, Telstar.
There was little indication of the remarkable scenes that were to follow when the visitors took the lead through Reading loanee, Andrija Novakovich with just seven minutes gone before the home side then found themselves reduced to ten men when referee, Stan Teuben gave centre half, Peet van der Slot his marching orders in the 21st minute.
However, eight minutes before the break the home side clawed their way back onto level terms through Mohamed El Osrouti before the 25-year-old edged Mark Schenning’s side ahead eight minutes into the second half.
Despite playing with ten men, the home side found a third through Tim de Rijk eleven minutes from time before Teuben handed Osrouti the chance to complete his hat-trick from the spot in the second minute of added time.
Elsewhere, another Tweede Divisie outfit, Koninklijke HFC, were given a run for their money by fifth tier side, Staphorst.
Despite Kevin Sterling handing the away side the lead five minutes into the second half, an own goal by visiting centre half, Wessel Boer saw the home side back on level terms just five minutes later.
However, just seconds after being pegged back, Ted Verdonkschot’s side restored their advantage through Roy Castien before former NAC Breda midfielder, Gert Jan Tamerus handed the away side a two-goal cushion ten minutes later to ultimately secure the Tweede Divisie outfit’s place in the next round of the competition despite Rob Mijnheer pulling one back for the hosts sixteen minutes from time.
At the same time, in a re-run of their encounter in the league just four days earlier, Heerenveen once again emerged victorious by two goals to one against hosts, Excelsior at the Van Donge & De Roo Stadion – an early double from Kosovar international, Arber Zeneli inside the opening quarter of an hour setting Jurgen Streppel’s side on course to secure a place in the next round of the competition.
Things might have been different for the hosts had Zakaria El Azzouzi not seen his 67th minute penalty saved by Heerenveen glovesman, Wouter van der Steen before Mike van Duinen showed the man on loan from Ajax how to do it by pulling one back for the home side from the spot sixteen minutes from time after referee, Dennis Higler had adjudged Denzel Dumfries to have handled the ball inside the area.
Having secured their first points of the season by hitting FC Utrecht for four on Sunday, FC Twente made short work of the side currently propping up the Derde Divisie (Zaterdag) table, ONS Sneek at the Zuidersportpark.
With their early season goal-scoring woes now firmly behind them, it took Rene Hake’s men just a quarter of an hour to take the lead through former Newcastle United midfielder, Haris Vučkić before Malaga loanee, Adnane Tighadouini doubled the away side’s advantage nine minutes before the break.
The game was effectively over as a contest when Michael Liendl added a third for the visitors twelve minutes into the second half despite Cutrick Gonzalez pulling one back for Chris de Wagt’s side just after the hour mark.
Meanwhile, FC Utrecht put Sunday’s four-goal drubbing in Enschede behind them by hitting Ajax Amateurs for six at the Amsterdam ArenA.
Two goals from Cyriel Dessers inside the opening twenty three minutes got Erik ten Hag’s side off to a flying start before Yassin Ayoub added a third for the visitors just two minutes later as their fifth tier opposition struggled to keep pace.
Lukas Görtler notched his first goal in a Utrecht shirt to make it four for the away side on the half hour mark before Manchester United loanee, Matthew Willock notched his first since arriving from Old Trafford in just his second game for the club just two minutes later with a delightful lob while a comprehensive first half performance was rounded off by Zakaria Labyad, who made it six on the stroke of half time with his third of the campaign.
It was a similar story at the Sportpark Orderbos where Willem II put their own early season struggles behind them to hit relegation threatened, Apeldoorn for four.
Four goals either side of the interval saw Erwin van de Looi’s side through to the next round of the competition with AZ Alkmaar loanee, Ben Rienstra opening the scoring in the 41st minute before a double from Olympiakos loanee, Konstantinos Tsimikas either side of the break and a 56th minute strike by Fran Sol ended the game as a contest.
Having taken just a single point from their opening three league games, the hosts currently sit second from bottom in the Hoofdklasse (Zaterdag B) standings. However, Jurgen Schefczyk’s side did restore some pride thanks to a Sander Krijns strike just after the hour and a Steven van Es effort thirteen minutes from time.
Meanwhile, it took a penalty shoot-out for Tweede Divisie strugglers, FC Lisse to see off fifth tier outfit HSV Hoek at the Sportpark Ter Specke.
A 49th minute strike by Martin van Eeuwijk looked to have sealed the home side’s place in the next round of the competition until Sidy Ceesay popped up with an equaliser for Jannes Tant’s side in the third minute of added time to send the game into extra time which looked to be going the way of the visitors when former Gent midfielder, Rik Impens gave the away side the lead shortly before the break in extra time.
However, despite van Eeuwijk restoring parity two minutes after the restart, Robbert de Ruiter’s side were left hanging on at the end when referee, Marc Nagtegaal gave Justin Valk his marching orders after the Lisse forward picked up a second booking in the 116th minute.
In the end, after a nail-biting shoot-out, experienced Belgian defender, Zinou Chergui’s miss saw the home side squeeze through to the next round of the competition.
Wednesday’s cup action was concluded at De Kuip where 2016 cup winners, Feyenoord got back to winning ways by eventually seeing off the challenge of a resurgent ADO Den Haag – Steven Berghuis converting a Bilal Başaçıkoğlu cross to break the deadlock for the hosts seventeen minutes from time before Donny Gorter, having handled the ball on the line, was given his marching orders for the visitors after picking up a second booking of the match from referee, Pol van Boekel, leaving Michiel Kramer to dispatch the resultant spot-kick to seal Feyenoord’s place in the next round of the competition in the 82nd minute.
The remaining four ties all took place on Thursday evening with the action beginning at the Sportpark De Meern in Utrecht where the side currently rock-bottom of the Derde Divisie (Zondag) table, VV De Meern, suffered a fifth successive loss as they were hit for five by PEC Zwolle.
It took just eleven minutes for Stef Nijland to break the deadlock for John van ‘t Schip’s side before Younes Namli doubled the visitor’s advantage just after the half hour mark.
The away side were given the opportunity to go in at the break three goals to the good when referee, Serdar Gözübüyük awarded van ‘t Schip’s men a penalty, which Piotr Parzyszek duly converted six minutes before the interval.
Things went from bad to worse for the home side after the break – Wouter Marinus making it four twenty three minutes from time before in-form forward, Younes Mokhtar rounded off the scoring by converting the visitor’s second spot-kick of the evening to bag his fifth goal his last five games.
The second game of the evening took place at the nearby Stadion Galgenwaard, with another fourth tier outfit, USV Hercules playing host to FC Groningen.
Despite their fourth tier status, it was the hosts who struck first with Fouad Belarbi breaking the deadlock with just eleven minutes gone.
However, having clawed their way back onto level terms through Oussama Idrissi five minutes before the break, Ernest Faber’s troops edged ahead a minute after the restart through half time substitute, Ritsu Doan.
Any hope the home side may have harboured of getting back into the tie faded when Juninho Bacuna added a third with a well-placed free kick for the visitors in the 65th minute before Australian international, Ajdin Hrustic found a fourth for the away side fourteen minutes from time.
Having fallen behind early in the second half, Eric Speelziek’s side never really looked like troubling their illustrious guests thereafter despite Leroy Oehlers bagging the host’s second of the evening with four minutes left to play.
Three first half goals proved enough for Eredivisie new boys, VVV Venlo to see off the challenge of another fourth tier outfit, Blauw Geel ’38 at the Prins Willem Alexander Sportpark in Veghel.
It took the away side, who, at long last, handed Real Madrid loanee, Mink Peeters his much anticipated debut, just under half an hour to break the deadlock through another loanee, PSV Eindhoven’s Damian van Bruggen.
Maurice Steijn’s men soon doubled their advantage through yet another loan signing – Borussia Dortmund loanee, Etienne Amenyido adding VVV’s second eight minutes before the break before Australian international, Terry Antonis effectively ended the tie as a contest four minutes later by adding the visitor’s third.
The one remaining tie in the opening round of this year’s competition took place at the Sportpark De Putter Eng where PSV Eindhoven hit fifth tier outfit, SDC Putten for four.
It took just six minutes for Phillip Cocu’s side to break the deadlock against their relegation threatened hosts – out-of-favour Adam Maher stepping out of the shadows to bag his first goal for the club since netting in PSV’s six-goal thrashing of Cambuur on 1st May 2016.
The visitors doubled their advantage just after the hour mark – Derrick Luckassen heading home his first goal for the club following the 22-year-old’s summer switch from AZ Alkmaar before Maher volleyed home his second of the night twenty minutes from time.
With Luuk de Jong absent in the aftermath of the rib injury suffered at the hands of Steven Berghuis in Sunday’s win over league leaders, Feyenoord, 20-year-old forward, Sam Lammers was handed a start by Cocu and duly repaid his coach’s faith by sliding home his side’s fourth with eleven minutes left to play.
Results
Zwaluwen 2-3 FC Den Bosch
RKC Waalwijk 1-0 Sparta Rotterdam
GVVV 1-0 FC Dordrecht
FC Oss 0-2 Almere City
Noordwijk 0-1 Fortuna Sittard
Barendrecht 1-3 Go Ahead Eagles
Helmond Sport 1-5 SC Cambuur
Rijnsburgse Boys 0-2 Heracles
FC Emmen 1-3 NEC Nijmegen
Kozakken Boys 1-1 De Graafschap
(Kozakken Boys win 4-3 on pens)
Sparta Nijkerk 0-1 FC Eindhoven
Genemuiden 1-3 De Treffers
Quick Boys 1-3 FC Volendam
MVV Maastricht 2-3 AZ Alkmaar
Capelle 0-5 Roda JC
AVV Swift 0-0 Vitesse Arnhem
(AVV Swift win 5-3 on penalties)
Scheveningen 1-5 AFC Ajax
De Dijk 2-1 HHC
Katwijk 4-0 Ter Leede
Achilles ’29 4-3 NAC Breda
VVSB 4-1 Telstar
Excelsior 1-2 SC Heerenveen
Staphorst 2-3 Koninklijke HFC
ONS Sneek 1-3 FC Twente
Ajax Amateurs 0-6 FC Utrecht
Apeldoorn 2-4 Willem II
FC Lisse 2-2 HSV Hoek
(FC Lisse win 5-4 on penalties)
Feyenoord 2-0 ADO Den Haag
VV De Meern 0-5 PEC Zwolle
USV Hercules 2-4 FC Groningen
Blauw Geel ’38 0-3 VVV Venlo
SDC Putten 0-4 PSV Eindhoven
2nd Round Draw
FC Volendam vs PSV Eindhoven
Fortuna Sittard vs Go Ahead Eagles
Heracles vs FC Lisse
Almere City vs AZ Alkmaar
NEC Nijmegen vs Achilles ‘29
PEC Zwolle vs Kozakken Boys
VVV Venlo vs FC Utrecht
Katwijk vs VVSB
GVVV vs Koninklijke HFC
De Dijk vs AFC Ajax
FC Twente vs FC Eindhoven
Feyenoord vs AVV Swift
RKC Waalwijk vs De Treffers
FC Den Bosch vs SC Cambuur
Willem II vs SC Heerenveen
Roda JC vs FC Groningen
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