Go Ahead Eagles of Deventer have soared into the top flight for the first time in seventeen long years.
Eagles had defeated FC Volendam 3-0 at home on Thursday but lost the return in Volendam 1-0 on Sunday afternoon, winning 3-1 on aggregate. The last time Go Ahead played in the highest league was in the 1995/1996 season when they finished bottom.
Roda JC have avoided relegation by scoring a last-minute winning goal against Henk Ten Cate’s Sparta Rotterdam. After the first match ended goalless Mario Bilate earned Sparta an early lead in Kerkrade on Sunday. However, Mark-Jan Fledderus equalized via a free-kick in the 73rd minute and also became match winner in the 90th minute through another free-kick: 2-1.
If Roda would have been relegated the southern province of Limburg would have been without representation in the Eredivisie for the first time in history, with VVV, MVV and Fortuna Sittard already playing on the second level.
Go Ahead Eagles are flying towards the top flight as Roda and Sparta cancel each other out in tonight’s Eredivisie Relegation/Promotion playoffs.
Go Ahead Eagles 3 (Houtkoop 8, Antonia 70, Kolder 82)
FC Volendam o
Go Ahead Eagles have all but confirmed their next season in the Eredivisie with a emphatic 3-0 victory over fellow Jupiler League side FC Volendam this evening.
The hosts took the lead after eight minutes with a great individual display of the ruthless in-form Xander Houtkoop.
Go Ahead subsequently failed to build on the goal, with Volendam goalkeeper Sonny Stevens several times coming to his side’s rescue.
After the break, Volendam urged forward more often but the Eagles remained by far the most dangerous team. Again, Stevens kept his team in the match with some good saves until Jarchinio Antonia eventually breached the net. The game was finished off by Marnix Kolder with eight minutes remaning as Volendam were reduced to ten men with a second yellow card for Paul de Lange.
It is hard to see whether Erik ten Hag’s side can turn this around in Sunday’s return leg, on this performance it looks to be an impossible task.
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Sparta Rotterdam 0
Roda JC 0
Ruud Brood’s Roda JC cling onto survival by taking a 0-0 draw back home for Sunday’s second leg against Henk ten Cate’s Sparta Rotterdam.
Roda nearly grabbed the opening goal with Hungarian hitman Krisztián Németh missing early opportunities. But the best chance of the game fell to the Mark-Jan Fledderus after half an hour of play, his free kick got the best out of Spaerta’s German goalkeeper Nico Pellatz.
In the second half, the anxious Sparta found it hard to attack and in particular striker Donovan Deekman spurning some great chances to clinch the game for his team.
Roda’s top scorer Sanharib Malki was quiet until in the final stages placing his shots wide.
A poor game, which before the kick-off most were chomping at the bit at the thought of these two sides looking to entertain.
Henk ten Cate’s Sparta are through to the playoff finals
The promotion race is heating up with the final four teams set for finals of the playoffs on Thursday and Sunday in two-legged affairs. Go Ahead Eagles face FC Volendam and Sparta Rotterdam play Eredivisie relegation threatened Roda JC.
In Sunday’s action, the surprise of the round was in venlo as VVV‘s fate was sealed as they are are now relegated to the second tier as they slumped to a 3-0 home defeat against Go Ahead Eagles.
The Eagles only finished sixth in the Jupiler League but could yet claim an unexpected place in the Eredivisie. The goals scored by Jarchinio Antonia (14), Quincy Promes (81) and Marnix Kolder (89) seeing them to a huge 4-0 aggregate win.
Roda JC, who found themselves alongside VVV in the relegation play-off zone, have avoided relegation (so far) as they emphatically smashed De Graafschap 6-1 for a 7-2 aggregate win.
Jordan Garcia-Calvete fired De Graafschap ahead to give the team from the second tier the aggregate lead, but it was one-way traffic after that, with a brace by the consistent Sanharib Malki and on-loan striker Frank Demouge effort putting Roda 3-1 up at half-time. Malki completed his hat-trick two minutes after the restart, while Mitchell Donald’s two goals
Eerste Divisie runners-up FC Volendam won 4-1 over MVV on aggregate with a 3-1 win on Sunday. Top scorer Michiel Kramer (44), Ludcinio Marengo (80) and Robert Muhren (90) notching for Volendam as Mark Veldmate hit MVV’s consolation.
Jupiler League’s third place side Sparta Rotterdam are also through after drawing 1-1 with Helmond Sport for a 5-3 aggregate win. Toni Varela put Sparta ahead 55 minutes before Emrullah Guvenc levelled late on.
The finals of the playoffs begin on Thursday so join us then and over the weekend for full coverage here at Total Dutch Football.
On-loan striker Xandro Schenk hit the solitary goal in GAE’s big 1-0 win over VVV
Go Ahead Eagles 1 (Schenk 80)
VVV Venlo 0
VVV Venlo’s race for survival has fell at the first hurdle with a 1-0 defeat away to Go Ahead Eagles, they will be aiming to get back on track this Sunday in the second leg.
The only goal of the game was scored by Xandro Schenk (on-loan from Ajax) in the 80th minute. Go Ahead showed the more of the initiative and the opportunities for VVV were scarce.
VVV will have it all to do on Sunday with Go Ahead Eagles in pole position to move into the next round of playoffs.
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Brandley Kuwas celebrates his goal against MVV Maastricht
MVV 0
FC Volendam 1 (Kuwas 76)
A Brandley Kuwas goal gave FC Volendam a narrow lead heading into their second leg on Sunday at home to MVV Maastricht.
The match began with a poor first half as both teams were evenly matched without creating many opportunities. Volendam seemed a lot sharper than the hosts and in the second half they came alive with most chances falling to Ludcinio Marengo, but the attacker could not get the ball past MVV goalkeeper Bram Castro. But with fifteen minutes to go, Kuwas grabbed the all important goal sliding in to finish.
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After defeating Helmond Sport, Sparta Rotterdam take a 4-2 lead home
Sparta coach Henk ten Cate was disappointed with his side’s performance in their 4-2 away win over Helmond Sport, as he thought they should have scored EIGHT!
Sparta, undefeated under Ten Cate, went into this game with a different style and formation and pulled away into a 3-0 lead just after the hour with first-half goals from Gijs Luirink and Sandro Calabro, with Illiais Ben Hassani adding in the second half.
But a late rally from the hosts saw the lead reduced to a goal with Davy Brouwers and Zarko Grabovac made in the final stage worrying for the Rotterdam side, but an injury time Mimoun Mahi strike gave the visitors a two-goal cushion for the second leg.
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Anco Jansen is congratulated by teammates after the opening goal
De Graafschap 1 (Jansen 35)
Roda JC 1 (Demouge 55)
Roda JC has a took their first step towards in saving themselves from relegation with a vital 1-1 away draw against De Graafschap in Doetinchem.
Pieter Huistra’s side took the lead in the first half after Anco Jansen found some space and finished well on 35 minutes but a Frank Demouge (on loan from Bournemouth) header grabbed the important leveller. They meet in Kerklade on Sunday in the return leg.
Eagles’ Bart Vriends in duel with Dordrecht’s Fouad Idabhelhay
FC Dordrecht 3 (Veldwijk 21, 40)
Go Ahead Eagles 3 (Heerkens 25, Türüç 45+2, Houtkoop 56)
Dordrecht and Go Ahead Eagles shared six goals on Wednesday night in a lively game with some great goals.
Lars Veldwijk grabbed two goals for the hosts and the first came after 21 minutes. The energetic Jeffrey Rijsdijk provided the assist. Four minutes later and the visitors were level, Freek Heerkens scoring on 25 minutes.
Go Ahead found themselves a goal down again in the 40th minute and this time a man down. Bart Vriends conceded a penalty whom Veldwijk smashed down the middle for his second of the game, the defender was given his marching orders from referee Richard Liesveld.
But again, Dordrecht were not ahead for long. Two minutes into first-half injury time, Turkish Under-19 international Deniz Türüç curled a free-kick perfectly past a stranded Warner Hahn in the home goal.
Dordrecht showed aggression in the second half as they searched for a third goal but a blunder from Hahn let Go Ahead take the lead against the run of play. Failing to collect the ball on the edge of the box, Hahn lost out to Türüç. The young Turk was smart and instead of shooting, crossed the ball towards the back post. He had spotted the arriving Xander Houtkoop and the winger placed his head onto the ball into the empty net.
It took the home side until ten minutes from time to find an equaliser, and it came from Cape Verde international defender Josimar Lima. A floating free-kick sent into the penalty area by Rijsdijk, and Lima rose above everyone to head into the corner of the net to clinch the draw.
The winner over two legs faces VVV Venlo in the second round.
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Piotr Parzyszek rises above the Fortuna defence to head home
De Graafschap 2 (Parzyszek 45, 70)
Fortuna Sittard 1 (Vets 80)
Two headed goals from soaring Polish striker Piotr Parzyszek provides De Graafschap a great chance of meeting Roda JC in the second round of the playoffs, despite a 80th minute consolation goal from Fortuna’s Niels Vets.
Target man Parzysek, 6ft 3inches, got on the end of a pair Tim Vincken’s crosses for Peter Huistra’s men but Belgian defender Vets gave Fortuna Sittard a salvation in this two-legged affair.
Almere City 1-5 Den Bosch – Almere suffered a heavy defeat to Den Bosch in the Monday’s mid-table clash in the Eerste Divisie. Before the game, both teams have a glimmer of hope of advancing to the Jupiler Play-Offs. Jeffrey Vlug, Moreno Rutten, Enzio Boldewijn (twice) and Tom van Weert score five goals within seventy minutes to take a 5-0 lead for FC Den Bosch on the scoreboard. Five minutes from time, a Charles Dissels spot kick grabbed the slightest bit of consolation.
Den Bosch climbs to tenth place in the table making the Play-Offs still in their sights. Almere City on the other hand seems to be out of the race.
De Graafschap 1-2 Cambuur – A double from Martijn Barto, including an 89th minute winner, helped Cambuur win their fourth game in a row and climb to second in the Eerste Divisie at the expense of eighth placed De Graafschap on Sunday afternoon. 19 year old Polish striker Piotr Parzyszek grabbed the equalising goal in the 76th minute for the Superboeren. Graafschap head coach Peter Huistra was sent to the stands in the second half for criticising the referee and will face a suspension.
FC Volendam defeated championship rivals Helmond Sport 3-0 on Friday night to pull away by three points at the top, as Sparta could fail to capitalise and had a goal-less draw at home to Fortuna to stay in third position.
Volendam celebrate Brandley Kuwas’ opener
Even though it was built to be one of the most important games of the season, Helmond Sport left their game on the team bus as Volendam easily brushed past the visitors to head to the summit of the Jupiler League. The goals started flowing on 19 minutes with winger Brandley Kuwas grabbing with a great effort from the edge of the penalty area. League top scorer Jack Tuyp notched another goal to double the margin on 57 minutes and Michiel Kramer (second in the top scorer stakes) made the points certain, if they were not already, two minutes to go.
The league went goal crazy, as there was a seven-goal thriller in Maastricht as Dordrecht defeated MVV by five goals to two. Five goals were seen in Eindhoven as FC Eindhoven pulled out a 4-1 win against FC Emmen.
Just the one extra game played on Monday tonight featured Dordrecht hosting Cambuur. The visitors hit three times to move up to fourth in the Divisie and just two points off first place.
Cambuur ‘keeper Leonard Neinhuis was barely tested
SC Cambuur grabbed maximum points for the third game in a row and now settle in joint third place alongside Sparta Rotterdam, although Henk ten Cate’s side has a better goal difference.
Cambuur took the lead just after eight minutes with Martijn Barto scoring the opening goal. With two goals from Erik Bakker, the team eventually coasted to a comfortable 3-0 victory. Bakker’s last was an injury time penalty. Dordrecht drop to eleven in the league table.
In the Eredivisie promotion race, the new leaders are Helmond Sport even though they did not have a game this week. Of course, this was because the bankrupted SC Veendam were dissolved this week and all results were deleted from the league. MVV were the worst victims of this dropping to fourth from second.
Sparta celebrate Danny Buijs goal against Dordrecht on Friday night
Sparta Rotterdam got back to winning ways under new manager Henk ten Cate with a 2-1 win away to Dordrecht. They went a goal down just before half-time with a Josimar Lima strike but Sparta came back out and turn the game around with goals from Iliass Bel Hassani and Danny Buijs. Ten Cate’s new side now sit in third, three points ahead of MVV, which failed to score against Go Ahead Eagles in a bore draw.
FC Volendam kept the pressure on the top with a good 2-0 away win to ten-man FC Emmen. Jack Tuyp scored for the thiord game in a row with a 78 minute penalty after Ludcinio Marengo had given Volendam a early sixth minute lead. Volendam, although the victory, drop to second due to the deletion of Veendam’s results.
Cambuur, in sixth, are looking strong as they smashed four goals past FC Oss in a 4-1 home win.
Henk ten Cate returns to Sparta until the end of the season
Today, Sparta Rotterdam replaced Michel Vonk as head coach with experienced head Henk ten Cate in his second term in a managerial role with the club. Ten Cate lead Sparta to sixth in the Eredivisie back in 1996, in a season where the Rotterdam side were defeated by PSV in the KNVB Cup final.
After sixteen years Ten Cate now returns at Sparta as successor of Vonk, who was fired on Tuesday, after three defeats in a row Sparta dropped to the fourth position in the Jupiler League. The club’ s aim is to secure the championship and direct promotion to the Eredivisie this year, the year of the club’ s 125th anniversary. Although, Ten Cate’s reign may be short after it was announced he has only signed a contract until the end of this season.
The 58-year-old Dutchman has been out of work since he quit as coach of Chinese club Shandong Luneng Taishan in September last year, following disappointing results in the Chinese Super League. Among other clubs Ten Cate had previously been manager of Ajax and Greek side Panathinaikos as well as assistant at Barcelona and Chelsea.
Sparta Rotterdam, celebrating their 125th birthday today, were defeated 1-0 at home against mid-table Emmen and after starting the day top of the division now find themselves fourth due to results of others.
This morning Sparta Rotterdam woke up as leaders and ready to enjoy a celebration for the ages, tomorrow morning they will wake up inside a nightmare. Wins for Helmond Sport, Volendam and MVV slip Sparta down to fourth and two points adrift from top spot.
It was Elson Almeida after 25 minutes that got Emmen’s goal as he sneaked around Donovan Slijngard as if he was not there. Helmond picked up a great 2-1 away win to ninth placed Den Bosch thanks to goals from Emrullah Güvenç and Davy Brouwers.
Volendam find themselves top of the division by goal difference after a 2-0 win away to lowly FC Eindhoven. Jack Tuyp and Michiel Kramer, like Friday night at home to Fortuna Sittard, were on the scoresheet. Finally, MVV sit in second after a 2-1 away win at Telstar with strikers from Mark Vledmate and Tom van Hyfte.
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