Tag Archives: Excelsior

International break-ing my heart

September 10, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Total Dutch Football columnist Jos Boesveld discusses why he misses the Eredivisie during the international break…

I really, really, really dislike the international break. There, I’ve said it. The football weekend was boring with no club football to watch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Although some great countries faced each other, it cannot match one single round in the Eredivisie.

In our own Dutch competition, there is something special about the matches. It doesn’t matter that clubs like FC Dordrecht or Willem II are small and don’t have players like Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. When two teams meet in the Eredivisie, there’s always something going to happen.

Take the match Excelsior vs. Heracles Almelo for example. Two small clubs who only can hope and dream to stay another year in the top flight. Both teams know that they need to win these sort of matches, because against bigger clubs it’s nearly impossible to walk away with the three points. This guarantees an exciting match between two teams who give it their all.

It’s not Arsenal vs. Manchester City or Real Madrid vs. Atlético, but it’s pure football. The battle for possession, the fight for goals and sometimes the clumsiness that is bound to happen in the Eredivisie. Excelsior cannot counter like Real Madrid and Manchester City can easily buy the full line-up of Heracles about thirty times. It doesn’t matter, as long as the game in the Netherlands is just as unpredictable as the FIFA and their decisions about technology.

Anyone ever heard of Jeff Stans? If you’re not interested in the Dutch competition you’ll probably never heard of him. Five years ago still an amateur, but now he has played over eighty games in the Eredivisie, Jupiler League, KNVB Beker and Eredivisie play-offs. In the match Excelsior – Heracles Almelo the player from the homeside scored a more than brilliant goal, which would instantly become internet famous if it would happen in any match in the Premier League, Primera Divisíon or Bundesliga.

It happened in our own Eredivisie and I can only thank the players in this competition. They make my weekend awesome, unlike the national teams, playing friendly’s or even qualifications. So don’t give me a break. Not even an international one..

Click on Jos’ name above to follow him on Twitter

EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE REPORT

EREDIVISIE: Excelsior 3-1 Heracles

August 31, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

SATURDAY 30TH AUGUST

EXCELSIOR 3 – 1 HERACLES

Excelsior piled the pressure on Heracles coach Jan de Jonge as the Eredivisie newcomers defeated the boys for Almelo 3-1 to give them their fourth consecutive defeat which today ended the reign of De Jonge as Heracles coach writes Will Burns.

De Jonge’s men actually the lead after 10 minutes due to an Elso Brito mistake. The young midfielder, currently playing left-back had an uneasy few opening minutes and his nerves showed when he misplaced a back pass to debutant goalkeeper Alessandro Damen. The ball fell perfectly for Denni Avdic and the Swede could not miss for a yards out.

On the half-hour Excelsior equalised after Jeff Stans converted a penalty after Ramon Zomer had bundled over Daryl van Miegham in the area.

The Rotterdam side had the lead minutes into the second half with Stans grabbing his second of the game with a wonderful effort. After receiving a long ball from Bart van Dierman on the outside of the area, Stans took a touch to lift the ball perfectly in the air to volley past Dennis Telgenkamp. The goal got the whole crowd to their feet, an excellent goal.

The game was decided before the hour mark when Daryl van Miegham added a third.

Sunday morning brought news that Heracles’s director Jan Smit had made the decision to dismiss De Jonge and the Almelo side will now look for a new manager to try and lift them off the bottom of the Eredivisie after four defeats in as many games.

TEAMS

EXCELSIOR: Damen, Karami, Fischer, Van Diermen, Brito (Kuipers 55), Kruijs, Auassar, Stans (Vermeulen 82), Botaka, Van Weert (Gouriye 66), Van Mieghem.

SUBS NOT USED: Abel, Mattheij, Bovenberg, Maletic.

GOALS: Stans 32P & 48, Van Miegham.

BOOKINGS: Stans 43, Auassar 90.

HERACLES: Telgenkamp, Te Wierik, Schenkeveld, Zomer (Koenders 39), Aktaou, Fledderus, Cziommer, Bel Hassani (Bruns 66), Pelupessy, Avdic (Weghorst 70), Linssen.

SUBS NOT USED: Fij, Engberink, Sibum, Paljic.

GOALS: Avdic 10.

BOOKINGS: Zomer 31.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Jeff Stans (Excelsior)

Click the name above to follow Will on Twitter.

TotalDutchFootball.com WorldFootballWeekly.com

BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW

EREDIVISIE WEEK 4: Saturday’s Preview & Betting Tips

August 29, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

The Eredivisie on Saturday brings four games and Will Burns returns to provide you of his top four bets to make an profit this weekend.

SATURDAY 30TH AUGUST

SC CAMBUUR vs. ADO DEN HAAG (17:30 BST)

After a great win last weekend demolishing of FC Groningen, ADO Den Haag travel to Leeuwarden to face a Cambuur side that are undefeated in three games including an away win to Heracles last weekend. Will Burns thinks this game could be a low scoring stalemate.

Sixth play seventh in the Eredivisie, and I see this being a game that is tight as those positions are. ADO added Timothy Derjick to their defensive options this week from PSV to tighten up a defence that has only concede three in three games, now in the Eredivisie, that is a great ratio!

This fixture has seen some goals in that past with Cambuur have seen over 2.5 goals in their last four matches against ADO Den Haag in all competitions at Cambuur Stadion. Although, I see these two competing in a midfield battle that may end a 1-1 or even, dare I say it a 0-0.

Betfair offer the draw at 13/5 and I see this being a price too good to ignore.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Draw (13/5 – Betfair)

FC DORDRECHT vs. AZ ALKMAAR (18:45 BST)

AZ Alkmaar will look to bounce back from their defeat to Eredivisie newcomers Willem II (3-0) last weekend with a trip to another newly promoted side, FC Dordrecht. Will Burns thinks Marco van Basten may find it tough on Saturday.

Van Basten will be looking to change AZ’s fortunes away from home after failing to win nine of their last ten games on the road in the league. The introduction of Guus Hupperts from relegated Roda JC has not seen the success that many were predicting, however, after just three games who am I to judge?

Dordrecht have made a solid return to the Dutch top flight with a win, a defeat and a draw so far. Going one better than their opponents after AZ have been defeated by Ajax and the aforementioned Willem II, after a opening day win against the poor-looking Heracles.

Once again, Betfair value the draw at 13/5 and this is worth a decent stake to gain some profit.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Draw (13/5 – Betfair)

EXCELSIOR vs. HERACLES (18:45 BST)

Excelsior’s first choice goalkeeper Jordy Decker is suspended for the visit of Heracles for his red card last weekend’s late defeat against Heerenveen. Debutant Alessandro Damen will replace him however, Will Burns does not think the new stopper will see much action as his side should overcome the boys from Almelo.

Heracles prop up the league with three defeats in three and are on a terrible running that continued at the end of the last campaign, totalling their seven losses in their last eight Eredivisie matches. Manager Jan de Jonge was booed off in last weekend’s home defeat to Cambuur and his job could be in jeopardy if they concede this game to newly promoted Excelsior.

The smaller of the two Eredivisie Rotterdam sides have performed above their station drawing against relegation contenders NAC Breda on the opening day and then defeating Go Ahead Eagles in a five-goal thriller the next week. Their last game was the 2-0 defeat to Heerenveen which they held strong until the 82nd minute dismissal of Deckers.

I predict Heracles’ dreary run to continue and Excelsior claim all three point which is available at 6/5 at Betfair.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Excelsior to win (6/5 – Betfair)

HEERENVEEN vs. FC UTRECHT (19:45 BST)

Dwight Lodeweges found his first win of the season in a ‘lucky win’ over Excelsior but with the talents of Daley Sinkgraven, Luciano Slagveer and Sam Larsson pulling the strings, Will Burns thinks Heerenveen could win again in Saturday’s late game.

Utrecht themselves have returned to winning ways, claiming all six points in their last two games (home to Willem II and away to Feyenoord). Last weekend in Rotterdam, could be seen as a ‘lucky win’ too with Feyenoord crumbling in the second-half to gift Utrecht the victory.

The sale of Jens Toornstra will not help matters for Rob Alflen’s side but signing Liverpool’s Kristoffer Peterson midweek may have calmed supporters nerves. Utrecht are capable of scoring goals however, they have failed to keep a clean sheet in the opening three matchdays and Heerenveen should find a way through here. Sinkgraven, Slagveer and Larsson all have sufficient talent to put Kai Heerings and Ramon Leeuwin under pressure and get past Robbin Ruiter in goal.

Betfair offer a great 2/1 for a Heerenveen win but Utrecht to score and this is my final recommended bet of Saturday’s matches.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Heerenveen to win with both teams to score – (3/1 – Betfair)

Click the name above to follow Will on Twitter.

TotalDutchFootball.com WorldFootballWeekly.com

EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE REPORT

EREDIVISIE: Heerenveen 2-0 Excelsior

August 24, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

SATURDAY 23RD AUGUST 2014

HEERENVEEN 2 – 0 EXCELSIOR

Heerenveen fans must have been nervous about life after Alfred Finnbogason and even more so over the past week after FC Twente took Hakim Ziyech out of the side too. Although there is a new guy in town, his name is Sam Larsson. A young winger who top Swedish journalist Markus Wulcan tipped for greatness. Along with the excellent skills of Daley Sinkgraven, Larsson showed a glimspe of this and provided a goal against Excelsior on Saturday night in Heerenveen’s 2-0 win that may have calmed down those fans’ fears writes Will Burns.

Dwight Lodeweges not only handed a debut to Larsson but to Morten Thorsby also with this week’s new signing Jeroen Lumu, formerly of Willem II, started on the bench.

The home side should have been a goal up early in the game after Stefano Marzo skipped past Elso Brito on the right-wing and decided to pop a shot off himself but blasted his effort way over the bar.

The first half was a tight affair and mostly consisted of midfield battles; however Excelsior were unlucky no to head into the break a goal up after a great chance from captain Sander Fischer. From a right-wing free kick Fischer received the ball on the edge of the box and smashed a shot right down the middle of the goal but Heerenveen stopper Kristoffer Nordfeldt was on hand to tip the shot onto the bar, much to the home fans delight.

Heerenveen had a decent chance which striker Mark Uth made a right pig’s ear of just before the half-time whistle. Larsson switched a wonderful ball over to Luciano Slagveer on the opposite wing, and Slagveer proceeded to pop a lovely ball into the area for Uth. The striker got it all wrong and eventually headed the ball away from goal instead of testing Jordy Deckers in the Excelsior goal.

Just after the break after Slagveer hit a low drive just wide, the impressive Daley Sinkgraven, only 18 year of age displayed great skill weaving in and out of the Excelsior defenders and the youngster threaded the ball through to Slagveer on 53 minutes, but Deckers held firm and made a vital stop.

The action really started to build with just eight minutes to go when Excelsior threw away what could have been a good point. After Sinkgraven again put Slagveer through on goal, hesitation from Deckers and Kevin van Dierman let Slagveer take control of the ball. The led to Deckers bringing the winger down and referee Edwin van der Graff point to the spot and dismissed the goalkeeper immediately.

With the visitors using all three subs, midfielder Kevin Vermuelen had to pull on Decker’s green shirt and do a stint in goal. He could do nothing about Martin de Roon’s spot kick and Heerenveen were ahead.

With the ten-men, Excelsior pressed for an equaliser however as usual in these cases it worked to their disadvantage as Heerenveen substitute Yanic Wildschut nearly made them pay with five minutes to go with a great counter attack. However, stand-in keeper Vermuelen made a great stop with his feet.

Minutes later, it was two and Sam Larsson capped off his debut with a goal that cemented all three points for his side. Great work again from Wildschut running at the retreating Excelsior defence, as he played the ball through the fast Larsson rushing down the right-wing. The young Swede used great composure to hit a first-time finish superbly to clinch the points.

TEAMS

HEERENVEEN: Nordfeldt, Marzo, Buijs (Otigba 59), Van Aken, Van Anholt, Thorsby (Lumu 70), Sinkgraven, De Roon, Slagveer, Uth (Wildschut 78), Larsson.

SUBS NOT USED: Schmidt, Raitala, De Fockert, Van Amersfoort.

GOALS: De Roon 84P, Larsson 89.

BOOKINGS: Uth 35, Otigba 64.

EXCELSIOR: Deckers, Karami, Van Dieren, Kruijs, Fischer, Botaka, Auassar, Van Weert (Maletic 73), Stans (Vermeulen 69), Van Mieghem (Gouriye 80), Brito.

SUBS NOT USED: Kuipers, Mattheij, Damen, Bovenberg.

GOALS: None.

BOOKINGS: Brito 61.

SENT OFF: Deckers 82.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Daley Sinkgraven (Heerenveen)

Click the name above to follow Will on Twitter.

TotalDutchFootball.com WorldFootballWeekly.com

BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW

EREDIVISIE WEEK 3: Saturday’s Preview & Betting Tips

August 23, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

With just the three games on Saturday, Will Burns and Martijn Hilhorst reveal which bets provide the greatest way to make a profit.

SATURDAY 23RD AUGUST

WILLEM II vs. AZ ALKMAAR (17:30 BST)

The champions of previous season in the Jupiler League will face AZ this Saturday with the legendary Marco van Basten as coach. Willem II is 17th with no points after two games which is not surprising as they faced PSV (H) and FC Utrecht (A). However, now they finally can show how good they are says Martijn Hilhorst.

In the previous season, Willem II showed quite often that they were way too good for the Jupiler League. Dominating competitors with ease and eventually becoming the champions. Yes, they lost some great players and especially Ruud Boymans (27 goals) and lost two matches in a row, which is great for the odds we get here from Bet Victor.

AZ have gained three points after two matches. First matchday was a fairly easy 3-0 win at Heracles Almelo and previous week they were blasted away be Ajax in a home match (3-1). Head coach Van Basten was one the best players in Dutch football history, but as a manager he is not on the level you would expect. More than once was he accused of not being a good tactician.

For a small stake a Willem II win at 7/4 is way too high for the Eredivisie new boys on their own turf.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Willem II to win (7/4 – Bet Victor)

HEERENVEEN vs. EXCELSIOR (18:45 BST)

With new signings Martin Dalgaard and Sam Larsson ready to give Heerenveen a new look after the departures of Hakim Ziyech and Alfred Finnbogason, Will Burns thinks Larsson especially could hit the ground running for Dwight Lodeweges’ side.

New Swedish winger Larsson, 21 year old that signed from IFK Goteborg, arrived in Heerenveen with rave reviews and shocked Swedish journalists and fans alike that Goteborg could see their star player for so such a little amount at €1.4m was reported. With the departure of Ziyech to FC Twente last weekend, Lodeweges will need to find goals from another source as the midfielder was the scorer of both of the goals that Heerenveen have scored this season. Larsson can help with that problem, scoring and creating for others.

Tall and experienced Danish striker Dalgaard scored in a Heerenveen reserve game midweek and could push for his first starting place ahead of the uninspiring Mark Uth. After looking for value in this game, opting for a Heerenveen win with both teams to score gives us a great price of 17/10 at Bet Victor. With Excelsior well capable of scoring goals (three against Go Ahead last weekend) especially with the great threat of young tricky winger Jordan Botaka, this is the best bet in this one.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Heerenveen to win with Both Teams To Score (17/10 – Bet Victor)

GO AHEAD EAGLES vs. FC DORDRECHT (19:45 BST)

FC Dordrecht travel to Deventer in Saturday’s final game to face Go Ahead Eagles in a match that Will Burns thinks will end as a score draw.

Go Ahead Eagles have lost their last three home matches in Eredivisie and coach Foeke Booy knows that needs to change after losing their opening two games of the season. Against the Eredivisie new boys, this gives them a great chance to make amends, however Doredrecht have showed that they are certainly no pushovers defeating Heerenveen 2-1 on matchday one.

Dordrecht were defeated by the in-form PEC Zwolle last weekend and should give the Eagles a cracking test. With the Eagles already notching four goals in the last two games (both 3-2 defeats) look for goals in this one. Looking at the value in this one, the Draw is a fantastic 3/1 and this game could see two sides battling and exchanging plenty of goals.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Draw (3/1 – Bet Victor)

All odds are with Bet Victor, click here to join and claim up to £25 in free bets for all new customers.

Click the name above to follow Will on Twitter.

TotalDutchFootball.com WorldFootballWeekly.com

EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE REPORT

EREDIVISIE: Excelsior 3-2 Go Ahead Eagles

August 17, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

SUNDAY 17TH AUGUST 2014

EXCELSIOR 3 – 2 GO AHEAD EAGLES

The newly promoted Excelsior grabbed a late three points in a five goal thriller against Go Ahead Eagles which saw Eagles keeper Eric Cummins get on the scoresheet writes Will Burns.

In front of small crowd of 3,213 inside the Stadion Woudestein, we saw a slow start to quiet an extraordinary game with neither side creating any clear cut chances.

However, the hosts took the lead with some great technique from young attacker Jordan Botaka on 19 minutes. Khalid Karami played a poor ball into the area, but the Eagles’ defence failed to clear and Botaka received the ball with his back to goal and instead of spinning and shooting he cheekily flicked a back heel past Erik Cummings to make it 1-0. It was fantastic technique to pull it off which left Eagles keeper Cummings completely dumbfounded.

As the rain poured down, the hosts did not take their foot off the pedal and went for a second goal and Botaka nearly had his second of the game when he was played in by the lively Daryl van Mieghem from the left wing. This time the winger failed to meet the target from close range, as his effort cannoned off the foot of the post.

The visitors should have been level before half-time when Deniz Türüç saw his low drive from the edge of the area booted off the line by Kevin van Diermen. The second half began as the first-half finished with the Eagles searching for the equaliser and came close soon after the interval through Marnix Kolder, however the striker dragged his effort wide.

Excelsior on the counter attack found a second goal just prior to the hour mark through Tom van Weert, although the striker did not much about the goal. Van Miegham shot towards goal but it was going wide until Van Weert stuck his knee out and diverted it past Cummins to make it 2-0.

The hosts were in the ascendancy and their tails were up but an extraordinary goal got Go Ahead back in the game. Goalkeeper Erik Cummins planted a long kick out of his hands up the field, and the ball bounced high just outside of Excelsior’s penalty area and over Jordy Deckers into the net.

Six minutes later, the game was level through defender Sven Nieuwpoort. Jop van der Linden whipped a free-kick into the box and the right-back escaped marker Van Weert to head home.

Five minutes from the end, lightning nearly struck twice when a long kick from Eagles keeper Cummins nearly caught out Deckers again, but the Excelsior stopped grabbed the ball much to the home crowd’s delight.

Four minutes into stoppage time, the home side clinched all three points after referee Jeroen Manschot awarded Excelsior a spot-kick after Turuc had deemed to foul Van der Linden in the area while tussling from a free-kick. Captain Sander Fischer coverted the penalty to clinch Excelsior their first win of the season.

TEAMS

EXCELSIOR: Deckers, Karami, Fischer, Van Diermen, Brito, Kruijs, Auassar, Stans (Vermeulen 84), Botaka, Van Weert (Maletic 76), Van Mieghem (Gouriye 62).

SUBS NOT USED: Mattheij, Damen, Hutten, Bovenberg.

GOALS: Botaka 19, van Weert 59, Fischer 90+4P.

BOOKINGS: Karami 84.

GO AHEAD: Cummins, Nieuwpoort, Vriends, Van der Linden, Schenk, Overgoor, Türüç, Van Ooijen (Rijsdjjk 66), De Sa (Reimerink 82), Kolder, Schalk (Lewis 76).

SUBS NOT USED: Van der Hart, De Bondt, Van der Meer, Ten Den.

GOALS: Cummins 69, Nieuwpoort 75.

BOOKINGS: Lewis 85, Vriends 89, Turuc 90+3.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Tom van Weert (Excelsior)

Click the name above to follow Will on Twitter.

TotalDutchFootball.com WorldFootballWeekly.com

BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW

EREDIVISIE WEEK 2: Sunday’s Preview and Betting Tips

August 17, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Another Eredivisie season is underway and after last weekend’s action in the opening round of fixtures, fans and lovers of the Dutch game can already be excited for the second round of action with some mouth-watering ties throughout the week. Ajax’s trip to AZ Alkmaar is no doubt however, the tie of the second round of fixtures. Will and Shane Burns (no relation) preview and supply betting tips for all four Sunday’s games.

SUNDAY 16TH AUGUST

AZ ALKMAAR vs. AJAX (11:30 BST)

AZ Alkmaar started the season in perfect form ahead of their clash with the champions after picking up a 0-3 victory over Heracles away from home. Alkmaar were under pressure prior to the game as it seen as crucial for the 2009 Eredivisie champions. After suffering a stunning eight defeats away from home last season, away form has been seen as the necessary point for achieving success this year in the Eredivisie by manager Marco van Basten.

Frank De Boer’s Ajax side are gaining a reputation throughout Holland and Europe as the most productive academy club in the world. Having spent only €4.5million this summer, De Boer seems determined to continue the growth of his Ajax side by producing both youth within their own academy and experience by buying from outside, and there’s no denying his successes. There’s no denying De Boer’s hunger for another Eredivisie crown as his Ajax side comfortably recorded their first victory of the season last week with a 4-1 victory over Vitesse, a side who have beaten Ajax in each of the last two seasons.

There’s no doubt that former AZ defender Nick Viergever, who moved to Ajax from Alkmaar in May, can expect a frosty reception when he returns to his former home this weekend. After some impressive performances for Van Basten’s side, De Boer acted quickly to sign up the defender and add him to his growing young Ajax side.

Former Dutch coach Van Basten has a few selection headaches for the match this weekend as both Viktor Elm and Derrick Luckassen are both injury concerns ahead of the arrival of champions Ajax. Van Basten recorded a comprehensive win last weekend and will be eager to inflict a dent into Ajax’s title challenge whilst maintaining their 100% start to the new season, and push for the title themselves.

Both incoming and outgoing transfers have been the main news this week regarding Ajax. The club is waiting on a response from Samuel Eto’o after the Amsterdam club offered the former Chelsea, Inter Milan and Barcelona striker a lucrative deal to join the club. Daley Blind has attracted some of European football’s top clubs this week when he announced that it would be difficult to ignore an offer from one of Europe’s top clubs but quickly announced that he was fully focused on Ajax’s title defense.

Fortunately for Frank De Boer, last weekend’s victory over Vitesse has been backed up with an injury free week and has no fresh concerns over his selection for his side’s trip to Alkmaar. Both sides will go into the tie full of confidence which will hopefully leave fans of the Eredivisie ecstatic with the game of the week.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Ajax to win 2-0 (13/1 – Bet Victor)

Click the name above to follow Shane on Twitter.

FC UTRECHT vs. WILLEM II (13:30 BST)

In the uninspiring match-up of the weekend, Willem II travel to Utrecht in a game that could prove to be influential in keeping either side in the league come May.

New Utrecht manager Rob Alflen suffered a 2-0 defeat away to Zwolle last weekend is hampered with six injuries for Sunday’s game. Defender Michael Zullo, midfielders Édouard Duplan, Tommy Oar, plus strikers Danny Verbeek, Gyliano van Velzen and Ruud Boymans all set to miss out the visit of Willem II.

The visitors coach Jurgen Streppel has his own problems after first-choice goalkeeper Kostas Lamprou was dismissed last weekend in the 3-1 defeat to PSV and on-loan defender Fabian Sporkslede is on the treatment table.

I see this game being a one of midfield battles and chances are rare. I have settled on either a 0-0 draw or the odd goal will steal it. Under 1.5 Goals is valued at 18/5 at Bet Victor and that is a price to good to ignore.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Under 1.5 Goals (18/5 – Bet Victor)

EXCELSIOR vs. GO AHEAD EAGLES (13:30 BST)

Last weekend Go Ahead Eagles threw away a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 at home to FC Groningen and will look for better fortunes away to Eredivisie newcomers Excelsior on Sunday afternoon.

Excelsior grabbed a great point away to relegation rivals NAC Breda last Saturday and will look to capitalise on that, however, they will have to cope with the bag of tricks Lesley de Sa in his arsenal he displayed last time out. De Sa, on a season long loan from Ajax, is one for the future but last weekend’s performance showed he could have a huge impact on Go Ahead’s season.

Last season, the Eagles had a poor away record and in the last 10 away matches in the league, they have failed to win nine of them, however I feel they could do well at Stadion Woudestein on Sunday. The Eagles are a massive 11/5 at Bet Victor and I see that as a great way to make a profit.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Go Ahead Eagles to win (11/5 – Bet Victor)

FC GRONINGEN vs. HERACLES (15:30 BST)

After contrasting results last weekend, Will Burns thinks FC Groningen will prove to be too strong for Heracles in Sunday’s last game.

Ironically this week, Edwin van Looi’s Groningen has been linked with a move for Heracles’ player of the season last year, Bryan Linssen as they look to replace Filip Kostic who moved onto Stuttgart earlier this month.

FC Groningen, despite Kostic leaving, has some great talent at their disposal this season. Tjaronn Chery, Danny Hoesen and Jarchinio Antonia all capable of grabbing goals when needed and if Eric Botteghin and Johan Kappelhof can keep Linssen quiet, the hosts should win easily. Groningen are valued correctly at 11/8 and this will be the best bet in this game.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Groningen to win (11/8 – Bet Victor)

All odds are with Bet Victor, click here to join and claim up to £25 in free bets for all new customers.

Click the name above to follow Will on Twitter.

TotalDutchFootball.com WorldFootballWeekly.com

EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE REPORT

EREDIVISIE: NAC Breda 1-1 Excelsior

August 9, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

SATURDAY 9TH AUGUST 2014

NAC BREDA 1 – 1 EXCELSIOR

Eredivisie newcomers Excelsior clinched a vital 1-1 draw away to prospected relegation rivals NAC Breda which saw two goals scored in a matter of minutes.

The Eredivisie new boys started well and the tricky Jordan Botaka caused NAC a lot of trouble from the start. It was clear that NAC defensive midfielder Joeri de Kamps had a game plan for the young winger, rough him up and keep him out the game. However, it almost backfired when referee Jeroen Sanders made a terrible error on 18 minutes. De Kamps was clearly seen fouling Botaka in the area, although the referee stated it was outside the box. Despite the protests, the free-kick was awarded and NAC had been spared.

Breda’s goalkeeper Jelle ten Rouwelaar was presented a plaque pre-match, for this was his 205th consecutive Eredivisie game for the club. Unfortunately for the stopper, he was beaten on 19 minutes.

Kenny van der Weg got his feet tangled with Excelsior striker Tom van Weert and referee Sanders pointed to the spot. It was a soft decision, possibly making up for the one the officials missed a few minutes previous. Jeff Stans converted the spot-kick even though Ten Rouwelaar guessed the right way and got his fingertips to the ball.

From the restart, NAC were level. Moroccan Under-23 international Adnane Tighadouini hit a first time shot after a poor clearance from the erratic Jordy Deckers, and the ball ended up in the empty goal.

Breda should have taken the lead moments later, again Tighadouini involved. Kingsley Boateng, NAC’s new signing from AC Milan, whipped the ball away from Kevin van Diermen and crossed low across the goal. The Moroccan was arriving at the back post and smashed his finish off the foot of the post.

After the break, NAC had another chance to take the lead but wasted the opportunity again. Erik Falkenburg’s long range effort was pushed onto the post by Deckers and Elson Hooi blazed the rebound over from a few yards out.

Excelsior may have had another penalty in the dying seconds when Boateng was deemed to handball in the area but nothing was awarded. NAC will need to improve their efforts in front of goal or better teams than Excelsior will punish them for the mistakes.

TEAMS

NAC: Ten Rouwelaar, Ssewankambo, Drost, Van der Weg, Amieux, Falkenburg, De Kamps, Matic, Hooi (Sarpong 70), Boateng, Tighadouini.

SUBS NOT USED: Babos, Damcevski, De Roover, Suk, El Allouchi.

GOALS: Tighadouini 20.

BOOKINGS: De Kamps 40.

EXCELSIOR: Deckers, Karami, Fischer, Van Diermen, Brito, Kruijs, Auassar, Stans (Vermeulen 86), Botaka, Van Weert (Gouriye 71), Van Mieghem (Hutten 76).

SUBS NOT USED: Mattheij, Damen, Bovenberg, Maletic.

GOALS: Stans 19P.

BOOKINGS: None.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Jordan Botaka (Excelsior)

Click the name above to follow Will on Twitter.

TotalDutchFootball.com WorldFootballWeekly.com

BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW

EREDIVISIE WEEK 1: SATURDAY PREVIEW & BETTING TIPS

August 8, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Week one in the Eredivisie continues with four cracking games on Saturday, Will Burns is back with some recommended bets, good luck.

SATURDAY 9TH AUGUST

HEERENVEEN vs. FC DORDRECHT (17:30 BST)

FC Dordrecht return to the Eredivisie after 19 years, their last top-flight visit to Saturday’s opponents Heerenveen ended in a 1-1 draw, a result which the league newcomers would welcome in the opening week of fixtures.

Leading Dordrecht into the new campaign is Ernie Brandts, who competed in the 1978 World Cup final for Holland. The 58-year-old is a winner and likes to play attacking football, however this make work against him if he heads into the Abe Lenstra Stadion with that game plan. Heerenveen coach Dwight Lodeweges has a fast attack at his disposal, with the speed of Daley Sinkgraven, Hakim Ziyech and Luciano Slagveer sitting behind new striker Martin Dalgaard, this may be too much for Brandts’ men.

Six-foot two-inch Danish striker Dalgaard has the complicated task of filling the boots of Heerenveen’s all time top scorer Alfred Finnbogason who after two successful years left De Superfriezen to join La Liga side Real Sociedad in the summer. Dalgaard has the credentials with great scoring record of his own, notching 50 times in 75 appearances for Danish Superligaen side Viborg FF over the last two campaigns. Although, he will be tussling with Mark Uth for a starting spot on Saturday, with Uth returning from a season on-loan to Heracles.

Heerenveen are heavy favourites in this game and rightly so. I feel the hosts will be too much for the Eredivisie new boys but Bet Victor’s price of 1/2 is very short to get any value. I recommend looking at Heerenveen -1 which means the home side need to win by two clear goals to land the bet.

BEST BET: Heerenveen -1 (11/10 – Bet Victor)

NAC BREDA vs. EXCELSIOR (18:45 BST)

In a potential relegation match-up already on day one of the Eredivisie, NAC Breda play host to another newcomer Excelsior.

Breda just scraped through the relegation battle last year as Serbian coach Nebojsa Gudelj failed to find a win in NAC’s last 11 matches of the season. Excelsior finished third in Eerste Divisie last year and their squad does not look as strong as did, mainly after the loss of 30-goal striker Lars Veldwijk to Nottingham Forest.

NAC do seem to have a real talent on their hands with Kingsley Boateng. The 20-year-old Ghanaian winger is being tipped to be one of the stars of the Eredivisie this season, and we might see a glimpse of that on Saturday against one of the only underdog opponents that Breda may face this season. Signed on a free from AC Milan, Boateng has already made waves with the NAC fans scoring four goals in three pre-season outings.

I feel this will be a low scoring affair with NAC maybe coming out 1-0 winners (available at 17/2 with Bet Victor) but once again, with it being the opening day and game neither will see they can afford to lose, our best bet and safest is in the Both Teams To Score market. Selecting No gives you a decent price of 11/10 and I recommend this in case Excelsior shut out NAC.

BEST BET: Both Teams to Score – NO (11/10 – Bet Victor)

SC CAMBUUR vs. FC TWENTE (18:45 BST)

FC Twente travel to Cambuur with new signing Kamohelo Mokotjo in tow but without two stars from last year, Quincy Promes and Dušan Tadić, who were sold on in the summer. Cambuur themselves have gone under major chance over the last few months with coach Henk de Jong boasting 11 new bodies in his squad.

Losing Promes and Tadić could hit Twente hard but coach Alfred Schreuder has replaced well bringing in Mokotjo from PEC Zwolle and importing highly-rated Dane Kasper Kusk from Aalborg. Both will give attacking support to lone striker Luc Castaignos. Hopes are high this year and they will look to get off to a good start with a win away in Leeuwarden. Youness Mokhtar, former team-mate of Mokotjo at Zwolle, which also be on hand to support but Felipe Gutiérrez and Shadrach Eghan are ruled out with injuries.

Cambuur may have brought in eleven new faces however, they do not look as sturdy as last term. Defender Ramon Leeuwin left for Utrecht and impressive loanees Elvis Manu (Feyenoord), Jody Lukoki (Ajax, but now signed for Zwolle) and Marcel Ritzmaier (PSV) have not returned. Replacements include young loanees midfielder Albert Rusnak from Manchester City and Delan Meleg from Ajax.

Twente should blow Cambuur away but the Cambuurstadion is a raucous arena that can get to the opposition. I see a narrow win for Twente but not without some scares. Twente to win with Both Teams To Score is a massive 12/5 at Bet Victor.

BEST BET: Twente to win with Both Teams To Score (12/5 – Bet Victor)

HERACLES vs. AZ ALKMAAR (19:45 BST)

Marco van Basten has returned to Eredivisie with AZ Alkmaar after leaving Heerenveen at the end of the season as he takes the Cheese Farmers to Almelo to face Heracles.

AZ have slight changes from last season’s team that finished 8th last year in the league. They will miss striker Roy Beerens after he moved to Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin, as well as scoring five times last year he also managed five assists. The club are hoping that his loss will be covered by the arrival of the dynamic Guus Hupperts from relegated Roda JC. The golden-haired youngster scored nine goals from right-wing and if he can replicate that form at AZ then he should help propel them higher this season.

Heracles’ success will feature heavily with the performances of Bryan Linssen. A very direct, pacy and technically gifted wide midfielder, Linssen was the Almelo side’s top scorer last season with 11 goals. Now that Mark Uth has returned to parent club Heerenveen, Linssen will have to develop a quick understanding with the likes of new signing Mark-Jan Fledderus from Roda for Heracles to get off to a good start.

Unfortunately for Henk de Jong’s men I see AZ being too strong as they always seem to Heracles’ number. AZ are undefeated in nine of their last ten matches against Heracles in all competitions and I see that run continuing in Saturday’s late game. AZ to win is 17/10 at Bet Victor and the price is very tempting to have a punt on it.

BEST BET: AZ to win (17/10 – Bet Victor)

All odds are with Bet Victor, click here to join and claim up to £25 in free bets for all new customers.

Click the name above to follow Will on Twitter.

TotalDutchFootball.com WorldFootballWeekly.com

BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW

EREDIVISIE WEEK 1: FRIDAY PREVIEW & BETTING TIPS

August 8, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

The waiting is over and the Eredivisie returns tonight as Ron Jans’ PEC Zwolle host FC Utrecht, hot off the heels of their Johan Cruijff Schaal win over Ajax on Sunday. Will Burns says backing Zwolle to claim victory is how to get the new season underway with a winner.

FRIDAY 8TH AUGUST

PEC ZWOLLE vs. FC UTRECHT (19:00 BST)

The Eredivisie returns tonight as Ron Jans’ PEC Zwolle host FC Utrecht, hot off the heels of their Johan Cruijff Schaal win over Ajax on Sunday and Will Burns says that backing Zwolle to claim victory is the way to start the new season with a winner.

PEC ZWOLLE

PEC Zwolle head into this opening day full of confidence after claiming their second trophy in 105 days. The Blauwvingers defeated Ajax by the solitary Stef Nijland goal last Sunday at the Amsterdam ArenA. Head coach Ron Jans suffered a blow to his season preparations earlier this morning losing arguably his best player last term, Kamohelo Mokotjo to FC Twente for a meagre €1.5m fee. However, it’s not all doom and gloom as earlier in the week, speedy winger Jody Lukoki arrived on a three-year deal from Amsterdam, the 21-year-old spent last season at Cambuur and should be a great addition to Jans’ selection. The winger should get a start on the right this evening with 19-year-old New Zealander Ryan Thomas on the left. On Sunday, Zwolle lined up with Nijland alone up front, however, Jans has added two Greek strikers to his ranks, Dimitrios Ferfelis (TuS Koblenz) and Nikos Ioannidis (Olympiakos) to help in front of goal, but may start on the bench this evening. Losing defensive rock Darryl Lachman to Twente earlier in the summer was disappointing, although the central defensive pairing Trent Sainsbury and Joost Broerse held well against Ajax on Sunday and should retain their place. In midfield, the defensive Ben Rienstra has arrived from Heracles this window and should protect the back four.

FC UTRECHT

It is a new season and a new manager for Utrecht after a disappointing campaign last year. After working his way up the ranks at the club, Rob Alflen replaced Jan Wouters in May following Utrecht’s horrific campaign which almost saw them involved in the relegation battle towards the end of the season. Looking to rebuild the team, Alflen brings a fresh approach and could hand lots of debuts to new signings tonight. A striker well known to watchers of the Eredivisie, Danny Verbeek arrived on loan from Belgian Pro League side Standard Liège after spending the last two years loaned out to NAC Breda. 24-year-old Dutchman and former Arsenal youth Nacer Barazite joined from Monaco and could line up in midfield. New defensive duo could start Christian Kum (Heerenveen) and Ramon Leeuwin (Cambuur) and Anouar Kali could make a return in the red shirt after a year at Roda. Alflen however, will be missing up to five first-teamers as midfielders Édouard Duplan and Willem Jansen, goalkeeper Robbin Ruiter, centre-forward Ruud Boymans and left-back Michael Zullo all miss out with injuries.

MATCH ODDS

After last weekend’s exploits, PEC Zwolle head into the game as favourites with evens being offered at Bet Victor and due to amount of talent that Utrecht is missing, I recommend this to be a great bet. With it being the opening game, it could be a cautious affair and a narrow Zwolle win could be the outcome, the scoreline of 2-1 to Zwolle at 8/1 looks very tempting. Ron Jans’ tactics may be more productive going forward than defensively this season and his side, as always will be an entertaining one to watch. If Zwolle do attack then Utrecht could do some damage on the counter with Jens Toornstra being the main threat scoring 19 goals in his total 48 appearances for the club from midfield. Toornstra is a menace from set-pieces also and is valued at 23/10 for anytime goalscorer. We all know how the goals can flow in the Eredivisie and both teams to score is an interesting but short price of 8/13, nevertheless, if combine that with a PEC Zwolle win and you can nail a great price of 5/2.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

PEC Zwolle to win with Both Teams to Score – 5/2

Jens Toornstra to score anytime – 23/10

SAFE BET

PEC Zwolle to win – Evens

All odds are with Bet Victor, click here to join and claim up to £25 in free bets for all new customers.

Click the name above to follow Will on Twitter.

TotalDutchFootball.com WorldFootballWeekly.com

BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW

EREDIVISIE WEEK 1 – MARTIJN’S BETTING TIPS

August 8, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

FRIDAY 8TH AUGUST 2014

PEC ZWOLLE – FC UTRECHT (19:00 BST)

The Eredivisie will start this Friday with current cup winner PEC Zwolle versus FC Utrecht. Both teams are known for spectacular matches. And so our betting tip for this match includes a ‘over’ bet.

PEC Zwolle played this Sunday versus Ajax for the Johan Cruijff Schaal and they deservedly won this match. They will most likely play with the same 11 players as latter match. ‘De Blauwvingers’ are known for playing with style and grace which led them to many victories such as the brilliant cup final versus Ajax in the previous season (5-1).

It is hard to predict which team will win Friday night, but FC Utrecht will not play hide and seek. They will attack heavily if you believe them: ‘We rather win with 4-3 then with 1-0’, said technical director Co Adriaanse. And the manager himself Alflen said this: ‘My philosophy is to gain the ball quickly as possible so the opponent will not stand a chance to build their attack’. They have strengthened their squad with pure quality in the name of Barazite, Kali and Boymans (27 goals in the Jupiler League previous season) and so on.

Both coaches have an offensive mind-set while their defence is not the best. I expect a game with at least three goals.

BEST BET: Over 2.5 Goals (7/10 – BetVictor)

SATURDAY 9TH AUGUST 2014

NAC BREDA – EXCELSIOR (18:45 BST)

NAC Breda is a team which have had trouble to avoid relegation is the last couple of seasons, but if analyze their qualities with other teams this season there is a big difference with clubs such as Willem II, FC Dordrecht and Excelsior.

Latter had the topscorer of the second division in their squad previous season (Veldwijk). They have lost him to English Championship team Nottingham Forrest. And with this transfer they lost 30 (!) goals. It is fair to say that they earned promotion because of him. In this pre-season they faced Roda JC (which relegated in 2013-14) and Excelsior where absolutely blasted away with a 4-1 defeat.

If you compare this squad with the other 17 teams in the Eredivisie doubtless they have by far the worst squad quality-wise. I expect that they will relegate with a ridiculous number of goals conceded.

You could talk ages about this game, but my expectation is fairly easy. Excelsior is not on the level required for the Eredivisie.

BEST BET: Both teams to score: NO (13/10 – BetVictor)

SUNDAY 10TH AUGUST 2014

WILLEM II – PSV (15:45 BST)

Matchday one will finish with this game which has two teams originated in Brabant. Because of the poor performance versus St. Pölten the odds has risen for PSV which is a good thing. The difference quality-wise among Willem II and PSV is enormous. So -1 PSV is a brilliant bet to place.

Willem II only has five defenders in their squad. With the possibility of a sixth in the name of Frank van der Struijk. To sketch the situation in Tilburg, they are the one and only club in the Eredivisie who still have no sponsor for their shirt. The financial situation is dramatic and their squad is far from complete which Jurgen Streppel admitted: ‘People expect us to finish above Excelsior and FC Dordrecht, based on what? We still do not have a central striker and only five defenders. It will be a matter of surviving because we lack quality and quantity’.

PSV have had a terrible match versus St. Pölten, but with the note that the Austrian second division team played in a defensive 5-3-2 formation and had no intention to leave their penalty box. They missed Wijnaldum, Depay and Arias and they most likely will not be playing versus Willem II, but PSV has many players with the ability to score and them will prove this versus promoted side Willem II.

Because of the match versus St. Pölten you could see the odd grow for PSV, but such a poor match will not happen to Eindhoven twice in a row. I expect an easy win for Cocu and his players.

BEST BET: -1 PSV (103/100 – BetVictor)

A £10 TREBLE PAYS £79.37 AT BETVICTOR

Click on Martijn’s name above to follow him on Twitter

TOTALDUTCHFOOTBALL.COM

BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW, FEATURE

EREDIVISIE 2014/15 SEASON GUIDE

August 7, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Total Dutch Football previews all 18 teams ahead of the new Eredivisie season beginning this Friday night. Click on a club’s badge below to view their extensive preview and how our team think they will fare in the upcoming 2014/15 season.

The Eredivisie is back and for viewers based in the United Kingdom, it is an exciting time. As of this season, Sky Sports have signed a four-year deal to show the Dutch top flight, so we will the breeding ground for some many playing and coaching talent right in front of our eyes. Lots of changes as per usual in the Eredivisie, as is every year when the vast amount of talent the season before, have moved onto bigger clubs across Europe. It is very apt that the league does get named ‘The Stepping Stone’ division as many stars like Luis Suarez, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie honed their skills in Holland before moving on to the big time. In recent times, we have saw Jan Vertonghen, Christian Eriksen and Siem de Jong all leave the Amsterdam Arena for the dizzy heights of the Premier League.

Could Ajax win an unprecedented fifth title in a row or could we see a new winner of the Eredivisie?

Well what are you watching for?

Click on a club badge below and find out who we think will be holding aloft the Eredivisie shield in May.

Click the name above to follow Will on Twitter.

TotalDutchFootball.com WorldFootballWeekly.com

EREDIVISIE PREVIEW, FEATURE

EXCELSIOR SEASON PREVIEW

August 6, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Excelsior

After a two-year absence Excelsior are back in the Eredivisie, although Will Burns predicts it could be a short stay.

Promoted via the playoffs after finishing third last year in the Eerste Divisie, the Rotterdam side would have needed some vast investment to build a squad to survive the Dutch top flight. In addition they have lost last year’s top scorer Lars Veldwijk to Nottingham Forest. The investment and the top experienced signings have not happened, and thus Excelsior should find themselves in the bottom two and back down to the First Division.

On-loan signing Ninos Gouriye (ADO Den Haag) and Tom van Weert from Den Bosch aim to fill Veldwijk’s boots, however, replacing a striker that hit a 30-goal season last campaign, is not an easy task. A third striker Marko Maletic featured on loan at FC Oss last term, signs on a permanent deal after his contract with parent club Stuttgart ended.

Although, once again, Excelsior are a squad built with Eerste Divisie experience and not many former Eredivisie players in the team. One thing that Excelsior can look forward to is the Rotterdam derby with Feyenoord. However, with this squad I cannot see many things to look forward this season for Excelsior.

TRANSFERS INS AND OUT

IN: Bas Kuipers (Ajax), Daan Bovenberg (NEC Nijmegen), Daryl Miegham (Telstar), Marko Maletic (Stuttgart), Ninos Gouriye (ADO Den Haag), Tom van Weert (FC Den Bosch).

OUT: Boy de Jong (PEC Zwolle), Lars Veldwijk (Nottingham Forest).

MANAGER – MARINUS DIJKHUIZEN

Taking over from Jon Dahl Tomasson last season and winning promotion in his debut season, Dijkhuizen is a popular figure at the club. Although, like his squad the lack of experience may shine through and the relationship with the club and their fans may end before the season’s finished.

KEY PLAYER – JORDAN BOTAKA

Fast-paced Botaka is a 21-year-old with great talent that should cause some problems to full-backs this season. The winger was great for Excelsior last season, helping the side end the season well for a third-placed finish and providing 10 goals of his own and helping Veldwijk score eight of his.